Wolves' Reign
by Kai-Dranzer
Summary: Blue Wolf Sequel. A supernatural war is brewing. Caught in the middle, the Bladebreakers suddenly find themselves at risk of loosing their title as world champions and their Bitbeasts when one of their own leaves the team right before the championships.
1. Prologue

A/n: I'm back with yet another story and this is the sequel, the continuation to Blue Wolf. **It's very much advised that if you haven't read Blue Wolf yet, you should.** However this chapter will be as confusing as it is to new readers and old readers alike. So don't panic, thinking that there's a chapter I forgotten. Just sit back and read and once you're done reading, **review.**

Special thanks to the reviewers of Blue Wolf: Fire Pheonix2, RoseOfSharon28, Myst Taylor, blaznXrapture, Merffles, Blue Flaming Cheetah, LadyOfTheBluePhoenix, brezzybrez, Lady Helena, ILoveAnime89, MyStIc BlAcK PhOeNix, faith, baby angel and Calli Maxwell.

This one's for you guys!

Summary: In a new year, everything seemed perfect for the Bladebreakers until a mysterious new foe challenges them to their sacred spirits. Caught in the middle of a supernatural war, the Bladebreakers suddenly find themselves at risk of loosing both their title as world champions and their Bitbeasts when one of their own leaves the team right before the championships.

Disclaimer: I'll say this once and once only. I. Do. Not. Own. Beyblade. Only Jade and any other characters which are unfamiliar whom I have created from the depths of my twisted imagination and breathed life into through my writing.

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Wolves' Reign (Blue Wolf Sequel)  
  
Prologue 

Flames rose out around them, driving heat into the air that blew swiftly across the battleground. In a distance, an explosion rang out caused by the fire that was quickly sweeping across the bare land. The land itself was stained red by blood. Fresh red crimson blood ran like a river of life and death. The air was scented with gore and death. Screams and moans of warriors falling were clear for all to hear. Above the sky, slowly turning crimson, sizzled lightning and rain of fire fell from it. Black Dranzer streaked across the darkening skyline, hurling flames at demons below and shrieking loudly.

_So this was the end of the world._

In spite of the chaos happening around her, Jade felt remarkably calm. Her emerald green eyes gazed out at the destruction played out before her and she breathed in the light breeze of smoke. Armageddon as she always pictured it. Only this time the world wasn't destroyed by a meteorite. The reason of the world's end hung in fifty feet above from the ground, hissing fiercely as it tore open a slit in the very fabric of space and time. Beyond the void growing in the sky was nothing, just plain darkness surrounded in a halo of white static electricity. Given time it would grow into a black hole and all hell will reign loose upon earth.

"Not if I could help it." she muttered under her breath.

"Talking to yourself now, huh?"

Turning her head slightly to her right, she smirked at the slate-haired teen beside her. He was pretty much in the same condition as she was. Clothes torn and bloodied from many cuts, hair disheveled. There was a cut on his left cheek, right across the marks on it and blood still seeped from it. His eyes, serious as ever, gazed at her, silently making sure that she was alright.

"That's more than I can say for some of these guys." to accompany her words, she nodded at a slaughtered body in front of them.

Kai glanced at the body and his eyes hardened. She understood his determination for all this to be over because she felt the same. For where they both had taken cover to avoid the sudden shower of fire, she could see Tyson and Ray running towards them, avoiding the fire to the best of their abilities.

She hoped Max was alright.

"Jade, duck!"

Even as the absurd thought of how there could be a duck here crossed her mind, her body moved instinctively, dropping down just in time as a gun shot went off. The bullet slammed into the demon behind her, killing it instantly. Smoke rose from the barrel of the gun in Kai's hand as he pulled it back and reloaded it.

"Stay alert." he warned her.

Looking him, she nodded well aware of how close they were all to death. Death walks here today.

_How did we get here? _she wondered tiredly as her gaze wandered the scene of blood and death before them. Her limbs felt heavy and she just wanted to let go. In the depths of her exhausted mind, she heard ringing.

_Bee-bee-ring..._

_How..?_

_Bee-bee-ring!_


	2. Back to Hell aka School

A/n: Wow! The response for the prologue in _way_ better than I expected! Thanks you guys! Nonetheless I'm sorry for the long update! So without further delay, on with the story! After I thanks my awesome awesome reviewers!

Thank you... Merffles, Midnightmare, blaznXrapture, faith, baby angel, Blue Flaming Cheetah, Myst Taylor, Phoenix of the Northern Light, RoseOfSharon, Rand-chan, Calli Maxwell, dark Alley, xLady-Helenax, ILoveAnime89, MyStIc BlAcK PhOeNix, fire ph03n1x and kaiROXmyWorld!

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Chapter 1: Back to Hell a.k.a School 

_Bee-bee-RING! Bee-bee-RING!_

A pathetic moan escaped from beneath the covers of one particularly half-crumpled king-sized bed. The other half had already been neatly made and tucked in with the pillow nicely ruffled. Hopefully it would stay that way for the next ten minutes provided the human-shaped form on the rumpled side of the bed would keep still. Following the moan, a hand slipped out from under the covers and started to search blindly for the offending item. An empty pat here on the table-stand next to the bed and another empty pat there…

_Bee-bee-RING!_

_Where the hell is that cursed alarm clock!_

After a few more failed attempts, the searching hand finally found the very loud, very annoying alarm clock and after a lot of effort to find the correct button to shut it up, the annoying beeping abruptly came to a halt.

_Ah, finally peace and quiet…_

Two minutes passed…

Then as if to diminish the welcoming silence in the room, the door opened and footsteps followed, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.

"Get up."

"…"

"It's already 7:40. Get up or else we'll be late."

"…I don't care…now lemme alone…" came the agitated hiss from under the safety of the warm covers.

A sigh and a tiny huff of frustration. "Fine then."

Silence once again resonated within the walls of the bedroom and the lump under the blankets can only hope it will stay that way with the departure of the walking-alarm-clock. Five minutes later, the footsteps returned and the lump groaned, knowing what was to come. But instead of the voice that was expected, an accented voice spoke up instead.

"A message from the young master."

_Wha--?_

_SPLASH!_

"ACK! WHAT THE F_--_!" a shriek was heard, loud enough to be heard through the entire two storey mansion. "KAI! YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

Seated at the kitchen table, seventeen year old Kai Hiwatari was calmly blowing away steam from his morning coffee as he turned the page of the newspaper in the same manner. He did not so much as flinch from the loud death proclamation that scattered his serene peace. His butler, a well-dressed elderly man appeared at the kitchen doorway with an empty bucket by his side. There were still tell-tale signs of water dripping from the bucket and unto the kitchen tiled floor, creating a small puddle.

"I take it that she's awake, Bernard?" Kai asked without looking up.

"I would think that she didn't have much of a choice." the man chuckled. "Honestly, if you don't mind me saying so, sometimes I find your methods are rather…cold."

"Was it?" Kai shrugged nonchalantly. He flipped a page again, the motion of turning paper creating a clear crispy sound.

"If you say so, Master Kai. But if I were you, I would watch my back for the rest of the day."

The teen signed, knowing well the butler was right. "I'm well aware of that, Bernard. Thank you."

As Bernard walked away to store away the weapon of crime, still shaking his head at his young master, Kai settled back and took a sip of his now-warm coffee. The taste of bitterness relinquished his senses and he enjoyed it fully. The peace even though momentarily was greatly appreciated. Calm before the storm. He intended to milk it for all its worth.

Ten minutes of peace later, that said storm walked into the kitchen, dressed in a simple pair of dark pants, her trademark duster over a red shirt and a very annoyed look on her face. Her long raven hair was pulled back in a careless ponytail and her emerald green eyes reflected the world of pain she was imagining for him right now.He knew it was too good to last. Who wouldn't be annoyed after being drenched in icy cold water at 7:45 in the morning?

"That was uncalled for, mister!" Jade Raven said, glaring at her boyfriend. Usually when he pulled this stunt on Tyson, she didn't mind but when he pulled it on her, there will be hell to pay. "And getting Bernard to do your dirty work…that is just dirty!"

"Well, it did get you out of bed, didn't it?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, shut up." she said as she took a seat across him. "And quit laughing."

"I'm not laughing."

"Then quit smirking."

That only widened his smirk more and she sighed, pouring herself a cup of dark liquefied caffeine. When she found it too hot for her taste, she blew at it and carefully settled it back on the table.

"Remind me again why is it that we have to go to school?" she questioned pleadingly.

"Because Mr. Dickenson says so." Kai said shortly.

She glared. "Gee, thanks. That answers so much." she muttered sarcastically.

In her mind, she kept seeing the meeting they had a week ago at the chairman's office. As a responsible adult and chairman of the BBA, Mr. Dickenson has laid down several rules for them regarding their education. Unfortunately, one of them was that the whole team had to resume their schooling in Tyson's school.

Witness her joy.

Believe it or not, it has been almost one month and a half since the official end of the World Championships. Almost one month and a half since the Bladebreakers had taken the title again. One month and a half of dodging crazed-insane fans and the press while trying to take a break from beyblading. Today would be the beginning of their schooling life.

"We better get going." Kai said suddenly, rising from his seat.

"So soon?" she glanced back at her untouched coffee franticly. "But I haven't even had my coffee."

"And whose fault is that?" he shot back as he gathered his school bag and slung it over his shoulder.

Jade made a face at him behind his back as he exited the kitchen, resisting the urge to deck him with her own school bag. There were moments where she loved him more than anything else in the world. Now was _not_ one of those moments. Almost desperately, she looked back at the still-steaming cup of coffee and debated between risking scalding her mouth and dozing off in classes. In the end, the latter won and grabbing her bag, she hurried to the front of the mansion where a limo was parked waiting for them.

Kai was standing by the limo with his arms crossed in front of him, clearly waiting for her while Bernard held the door opened for them.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked sourly.

"Just making sure that you don't attempt to run away." Kai said as he climbed in.

As a last pathetic attempt to get out of school, she appealed to the old butler. "Do I need to go to school, Bernard? I'm pretty sure you need some help around the mansion."

The old guy smiled fondly. "Look at it this way, miss. You get to spend the whole day making new friends instead of staying behind with a shivered up old man here."

"You're not old and shivered up." Jade said affectionately.

"Have a nice day, miss." Bernard said warmly and closed the door after her.

As the limo revived up and started moving, she found herself playing anxiously with the necklace around her neck. Kai watched her for a moment, his eyes lingering the pale nearly-invisible pink scar across her throat – reminder of last year – before switching his attention to the passing scenery outside.

"If I'm not careful, I might find myself with a bit of competition over you there." he said lightly.

She glanced at him. "What? Bernard? He's such a sweetie. You should learn to be more like him."

He rolled his eyes.

Intrigued, Jade leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You jealous?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Again with the eye-rolling habit. "…"

"You know…we have got to get you a dictionary to make up for your limited vocabulary."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Man, this is super exciting!" 

It was seven in the morning and Max was already hyped-up to go to school. Too bad the same can't be said about Tyson who was the complete opposite of him at the moment.

"Can you feel it, Tyson? Well, can you?" Max was practically bouncing on his feet.

"Feel what, Maxie? The dying need to burn the school down?" the navy-haired boy groaned. As though a cloud of doom hung over him, Tyson walked behind the hyper blonde and Kenny with his head hung in depression

Walking next to him, Ray managed a sympathetic smile. "Cheer up, man."

Kenny chortled. "In case you have forgotten, guys, Tyson hates school with every fiber of his being."

"It's a place of evil and child abuse." Tyson said defensively. "With horrible food, dictators and don't forget homework! Tons of evil time-consuming homework."

Ray rolled his eyes. "You're over-exaggerating, Tyson."

"Actually I can think of another reason why Tyson doesn't want to go back to school." the Chief piped in. "That reason starts with a 'H' and ends with a 'Y'."

"Argh, don't remind me!"

"Hilary?" Max laughed.

"Which reminds me, she didn't join us last year." the neko-jin commented. "Why is that?"

"She was in New Zealand on a student exchange program. The principle picked her to represent our school." Kenny explained. "I'll bet that she learned a lot of new stuffs like different cultures and lifestyles."

Tyson snorted. "You mean like how to annoy me further?"

"I think annoying you is pretty much Hilary's gift." Ray pointed out in a jest.

"But still you can't deny the fact that you miss her!" Max said enthusiastically.

"Gimme a break, Maxie!" Tyson yelled. "I do not miss her!"

"Miss who?" a girl's voice asked from behind.

"ARGH!"

Standing behind them was Hilary. Gone was her usual shoulder length hair and instead she had grown it longer and now kept it in a ponytail. Hands on her hips with a confused look on her face, she shot Tyson an irritated glare for almost causing her eardrums to explode. "Oh, pull yourself together, Tyson. It's only me."

"Hilary!" Max said joyfully and rushed over to hug her. "How have you been?"

"Okay, Max..." she gasped, wiggling and squirming. After finally managing to detach the blonde kid, Hilary smiled. "It's nice to know that I was missed. Speaking of which, hey, where's Kai?"

"Mr. Sourpuss's taking a limo to school while the rest of us does it the old fashion way. By walking!" Tyson said snappishly.

She eyed him warily. "Look like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Don't mind him. It's just a school day." Kenny mouthed to her.

Speaking of school, by now the view of the dreaded building had appeared within their sights and Tyson's complains only seem to have grown louder. Hilary was already on the verge of gagging Tyson when a limo pulled to a stop directly in front of the school entrance. The driver climbed out of the driver's seat and hurried around the car to open the passenger door but it swung open on its own from the inside. Kai emerged soon followed by Jade.

Jade took a deep breath and turned her head from side to side, releasing tensed muscles. "Ah, yes. The stink of high school life. I definitely did not miss this."

"Hey, guys!" cheery as always, Max greeted them first followed up the others. "Aren't you excited to be back at school?"

Eyeing him suspiciously, Jade couldn't help but wonder. "Max, have you been eating sugar in the morning again?"

"He's just excited to be back at school." Kenny informed her.

Ray studied her for a while. "What happened to you? You look like crap."

"No thanks to iceberg here." she said, shooting a glare at the slate-haired teen next to her.

"What did Kai do?" Max asked curiously.

"Try waking up to an icy cold shower."

Tyson grimaced, understanding what she meant. After all, he had been on the receiving end of Kai's wrath before. "Been there."

"Well, you probably did something to deserve it." Hilary reminded the sulking boy.

"He always does." Jade chuckled as she turned to the brunette girl. "Hi, Hilary. Long time no see."

"Likewise."

As the guys watched apprehensively, both girl turned and headed towards the building, talking as though they had been friends for years. They had met at the airport on the day the team had returned from Russia at the end of November and to Tyson's immediate dismay, both girls seemed to get along well which was not a good thing for him. A very important lesson he had learn was to never underestimate two high school girls who can pull off a surprise Christmas party within one week without the team's knowledge. He could just imagine the evil things they had in mind to torture him with right now.

"Who would have thought those two could get along so well." he mused aloud.

"What were you hoping for, Tyson? A cat fight?" Ray asked skeptically.

Tyson grinned sheepishly. "Kinda."

"How immature can you get, Tyson?" Kai snorted as he crossed his arms in front of him.

Tyson made a face at his captain but before he could say anything, Kenny, having glanced at his watch, let out an alarmed squeak.

"Oh, no! We were supposed to meet Mr. Dickenson in the principle's office five minutes ago!"

* * *

"Although I'm honored to have you in my school, I must warn you that you are not to expect any special treatment from me or any of the teachers." the principle, a woman in her late forties said as she leaned forward, interlinking her fingers in front of her and faced the seven teens standing before her desk. The light from the sun pouring in through the window caught in her brown hair, making visible the streaks of grey. 

Fortunately, the Bladebreakers were not alone in facing her wrath. Noticing the grimaced look that crossed the faces of several of the teens, Mr. Dickenson stepped in. "I assure you, Miss Flutie, they won't be expecting anything except acceptance and treatment as normal students."

She regarded the chairman through the thick lenses of her frameless glasses, narrowing her eyes on him. "I certainly hope so, Mr. Dickenson. They are currently in their final year of high school and need I add, it's a very important year for them as students. Their education should be prioritized to ensure that they achieve satisfactory grades for college. You can't be so sure that their winning streak will keep up."

To this, the team bristled. Tyson had to grit his teeth to keep himself from doing something he might regret later. He did however have something to say.

"Hey, I resent that." he snapped.

"Tyson!" Hilary hissed at him to silence him.

"I can understand what you're saying, Mr. Granger but what exactly is a title that will last you, what? A year or two? Compare that to a Masters Degree or at least a diploma, where does that get you? I'll tell you. No where." the woman leaned back with a smirk at her thin lips. "That is why to make sure that you lead and maintain a healthy balanced school life, Mr. Dickenson and I have decided on a few criteria's of which you kids must fulfill if you want to compete in the championships this year."

"As if being in the same school as Tyson isn't enough." Jade muttered under her breath.

"Hey..."

Miss Flutie chose to ignore the comment. "First of all, each individual must maintain good grades throughout the semester.

"What?" Tyson yelped.

Ray shrugged. "Sounds fair enough."

"Hold it. What is your definition of 'good grades'?" Tyson asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at the principle.

"Why, that would be a 'C' and above." Miss Flutie informed them gleefully. "Anything lower than that and you're subjected to extra classes."

"What?" again, Tyson groaned. "This's child abuse I tell ya..."

"Oh, quit your whining, Tyson." Hilary chastised impatiently. "All you ever do is whine and complain. Put a sock in it already!"

Noticing the annoyance flashing in his friend's eyes, Kenny decided to soften the blow. "Relax, Tyson. Hilary and I'll help you study."

"What...?" he groaned pitifully. "Someone kill me now."

"Gladly." Hilary chimed in.

Before those two could break into a verbal war, Max cut in. "What about the other criteria's?"

Miss Flutie smiled unkindly. "Secondly, you're to participate in any club or society that has nothing to do with Beyblading."

"What!" this time, Tyson's voice went up half a volume. "But-but, that's uncalled for! How are we gonna train then?"

"That's where time management comes in." Miss Flutie said sweetly. "Finally, you're also required to keep up a maximum percentage of your attendance. I'll not tolerate tardiness. Do I make myself clear?"

Tyson gulped at the glare of expectancy sent at him. "Crystal." he assured her.

"Good." satisfied, the woman smirked.

"If that is all for now, we should be heading to class now." Kai spoke up in a tone of boredom.

Miss Flutie narrowed her eyes on the slate-haired boy but he merely returned to favor with his own glare. In the end, she told them to retrieve their timetables from the secretary table and shooed them out with flicks of her hand.

As soon as the door closed after the last of them, she acknowledged Mr. Dickenson warily. "I feel that it's appropriate to tell you that if any one of them disrupts the peace and quiet of my school, I have every right to expel them."

"Oh, I have no doubt of your rights, Miss Flutie." Mr. Dickenson replied evenly. "I also have no doubt that they will not cause you any trouble."

_At least not intentionally._

_

* * *

_"Man, I hate that woman." Tyson grumbled aloud once they have all exited the principle's office.

"And we all know the only reason she tolerates you is because of your reputation as a Beyblader." Kenny said.

They stood in the hallway now, holding their brand new timetables in their hands. So far Hilary was the only one who had taken a glance out of it since she got it. In fact, she couldn't seem to pull her eyes away from the paper as she debated it with her daily schedule.

"Advance math?" she gapped in delight. "Cool."

"I kid not when I say, Hilary, you're such a geek." Tyson blanched, making a face at her proclamation.

"If I'm a geek, what does that make Kenny?" she jabbed a finger in the said boy's direction.

Kenny was offended. "Hey! Watch it with the finger pointing."

While the three broke down into an argument, Max turned to the other three who were watching in amusement and on a certain someone's part, with a hint of annoyance. "So do you guys have any idea what club other than Beyblading are you gonna join?"

"Nope but I'm pretty sure we can figure that out later." Ray said.

Max blinked. "Why later?"

Jade glanced at her watch and swore lightly. "Well, for one thing, we're already ten minutes late for our first class."

"Crap!" Hilary had caught in on Jade's statement. She grabbed Tyson and Kenny by their collars and started to drag them down the hallway. "We're late! Miss Kincaid is so gonna kill us!"

"Right. Wouldn't want to ruin your perfect record now would we." Tyson said sarcastically as he struggled to wring himself free from her grasp to no avail.

"Shut up, Tyson!" Hilary snapped back.

Ray shrugged and started after them, hoping to at least break them up before they reached their classroom. Kai started forward as well but paused when he realized that someone wasn't following. He glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the uneasy expression on Jade's face that suggested she was going to bolt first chance she gets. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on." he insisted and grabbed her hand to drag her along.

She barely put up a futile fight and went along, grumbling something about an unfair education system and an equally unfair boyfriend who throws ice cold water on you to wake you up in order to drag you to a God-forsaken building. Max watched his friends from behind and bright grin appeared across his face. Despite the others' claims and protests, it felt great to be back at school.

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A/N: Gotta love high school. Don't you? R&R! 


	3. Sacrifices and Sufferings of Champions

A/N: Yikes, I'm late!!! I didn't realized how late I was in updating this story so here it is! I know the story is a bit slow but things will pick up soon after this chapter. Promise!

Thank you...Calli Maxwell, kaiROXmyWorld, Sakura-Moonlight, xLady-Helenax, faith, ILoveAnime89 and blaznXrapture

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Chapter 2: Sacrifices and Sufferings of Champions 

"Can I have your signature please...?"

"Come on, man. Teach us that move."

"Can you sign my blade?"

"Will you be joining the Beyblade club?"

Startled by the amount of fans that surrounded him in a tight circle at the end of their second day of school, Tyson backtracked a little and laughed nervously. "Hey, sorry guys. I'm not supposed to do anything related to Beyblading."

But still the crowd pressed on and Tyson feared he would be crushed by his hoard of fans. Fortunately, Hilary who was passing the classroom he was in, spotted him and came to his rescue. She took him by his ear and dragged the world champion away before the eyes of his amazed fans.

"Ow! Hilary!" he yelped once she had released him outside.

She shook her head at him. "Honestly, Tyson, you just can't live without the attention, can you?"

"It's not my fault if the fans find me irresistible." he retorted.

"Right..." she said skeptically.

"So..." Tyson scratched his head. "Have you decided what club are you gonna join?"

"Actually, since I'm not officially part of the team, I don't have to abide by Miss Flutie's requirements." she informed him. When his face fell, she quickly added. "But if it makes you feel better, I've just joined the debate club."

He snorted. "Why am I not surprised? What about Kenny? Oh, wait, let me guess. The science club."

"Bingo." without realizing, both of them started walking down the path that would take them to the school gym where most club activities were carried out.

"What about the others? What did Max join?" he pressed on.

Hilary pushed open the doors to the gym then and they stepped into the gym.

"Tyson, watch out!"

"Wha – OW!"

Cringing on his behalf, Hilary sighed as she caught the basketball that had bounced off Tyson's face and tossed it back to Max. The blonde boy sighed as well as he shook his head in amusement at his groaning friend. Tyson was cuddling his reddened bruised face.

"I tried to warn you, Tyson." Max said plainly.

"No, you didn't. All you said was 'Tyson, watch out.' Not much of a warning there, man."

"Yo, Max! Ball!" a boy hollered, running off the basketball court to where they were. He held out his hands, indicating the ball in Max's hands.

"You joined the basketball team?" Hilary asked as the ball was tossed back and the game resumed.

He shrugged. "Sure. Why not? With all the experience I had in America playing basketball with Eddy, it'll be an easy game for me."

"Good for you." Tyson said, recovering from the blow. "Where are Ray, Kai and Jade?"

"Hm, Ray is outside, I think. He joined the wushu club." Max said. Without warning he grabbed their hands. "Come on. I'll show you."

Dragging both of them after him, Max led them to the outdoor volleyball court now turned into a wushu training arena. From where they stood along the sidelines, they could easily spot Ray's familiar white Chinese outfit among the group in the middle of a sparring session.

"Check it out. Ray actually has some moves." Hilary said excitedly.

Sure enough, Ray had his opponent on the defense at that moment. With several quick steps to cover the distance between them, he launched a kick to the boy's open shoulder and followed up with an arm-lock that forced his opponent to the ground, thus ending the sparring match.

"Pretty impressive." Tyson said, nodding.

"Wait until you hear what they call him." Max grinned.

Noting the mischievous look on the boy's face, Hilary asked suspiciously. "What do they call him?"

At that same moment, someone yelled. "Way to go, Jet Li Junior!"

Hilary almost choked and Tyson had to muffle his laugh. "Jet Li Junior?"

"Oh, man. Wait until Jade hears about this." Tyson snickered. "He'll never hear the end of it."

"Hear what?"

"Ack! Jade!"

Jade stood behind them, casually holding a red tennis racket with a tennis ball bouncing up and down on it. She raised an eyebrow at them. "Yes, me. So what's up? Hear what?"

"Hear Ray's new nickname." Max filled in. He glanced at the racket in her hand. "Is that a tennis racket?"

"No, it's a ping pong bat." she deadpanned. "Of course it's a tennis racket. I've joined the tennis club."

"I didn't know you played tennis." Tyson said.

"Well, you do now. It's just for a change in sports. So what's this about Ray's new nickname? What's it?" Jade asked.

"It's nothing much. Just something the wushu club came up with." Hilary replied. "They're calling him Jet Li Junior."

"You're kidding me?" Jade said with a hint of a grin appearing. Then as though trying it out, she repeated it. "Jet Li Junior. Ray Kon Jet Li Junior."

As she repeated it over and over, Max shot the Chinese boy who was approaching them but still too far away to hear anything, a sympathetic look. "I pity Ray."

"Hey, guys." Ray said pleasantly as he took a swing of his water bottle. His grin soon faded when he realized that Jade has discovered his skeleton in the closet.

"Hey there, Jet Li Junior!" she said brightly as she snatched the tennis ball out of mid-air.

He groaned. "Jade..."

"Or would you prefer Ray Kon Jet Li Junior?"

He glared at her or tried his best to muster a look that would be considered as a glare. "How bout neither?"

"I live with Kai, remember? Glaring at me in hopes I would drop dead is not gonna work." Jade informed him plainly.

Hilary perked up as she noticed someone walking up to them. "And speaking of Kai, here he's now."

"So, Kai, are you gonna tell us what club you joined or do we have to pry it out of you?" Tyson quizzed, with a knowing smirk.

"Hn."

"I thought so."

Jade rolled her eyes at their leader and just-turned boyfriend. "Kai, be nice. But seriously, what club did you join?"

"I joined something. You don't need to worry your pretty little head over it." he said, shrugging carelessly.

Her eyes narrowed in warning but as accustomed as she was to his glare, he was used to hers.

"I'll tell you what he joined." a familiar voice perked in.

"Kenny?" Ray gave the shorter boy a look-over. "What's with the lab coat?"

Wearing an oversized lab coat that draped from his shoulders and ended barely above the ground, Kenny looked like a kid playing scientist. Undignified by Ray's skeptics, he drew himself up to his full height which wasn't much and puffed out his chest. "I'm in the science club for your information. Hence the lab coat, Ray?"

"Oh, right. My apologies. I should have known." the Chinese blader said sarcastically.

As one who couldn't careless about the boy's attire, Jade reached over and poked Kenny repeatedly. "You were saying, Kenny?"

Kenny battered her hand away and adjusted his glasses. "As I was saying, Kai is in the pool club."

"Is that true, Kai?" expectantly she turned to the slate-haired teen who had found a comfortable leaning position under a tree and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Hn." he glanced away.

Enough said.

Hilary however realized something else, blinking in concentration as she tapped her chin, trying to remember. "We have a pool club? I didn't know that."

"Neither did I." Tyson said, nodding in agreement.

"Well," Kenny began, opening up his laptop. "According to my notes here, in the previous years, the pool club has been running at the minimum. There are officially only five members in that club then. However recently, there has been a drastic increase in membership. What is 'odd' is that majority of the new members are, well, girls."

Hearing this, Jade glanced at Kai with a raised eyebrow. "Gee, I wonder why."

"So I guess that leaves just you, Tyson." Hilary said. She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him.

"Yup. That leaves just me." he hung his head, looking disheartened. "Don't worry. I'll think of something. Maybe I'll join the kendo club."

"Wow, Grandpa G. is gonna be so proud." Jade drawled.

Tyson cringed at the thought of his ever wacko grandfather glomping him in joy, shouting to the heavens about a warrior grandson to carry on their heritage. _Shudder_. "Then again...maybe not."

* * *

The second week of school found Tyson staring at an important piece of paper in his hands. He was actually more like glaring at the poor sheet, clutching until the sides were crumpled. The alphabet stared up at him as though mockingly and he stared back at it, willing it to change by sheer will power into another alphabet that was more to his liking. Like, say, maybe an 'A'. 

"Glaring at your grades isn't gonna make the 'C's disappear, Tyson." Hilary informed him plainly, leaning in to see how he had done so far.

His glare shifted to her. "I know that! Not everybody's perfect like you, Hilary!"

"Oh, well. Glad that you know that." she smiled sweetly and resumed her conversation with a classmate.

Tyson continued to glare at the whole line of 'C's running down from Maths to History before him. The only bright sight on the whole picture or paper was the 'A' for English. Traveling the world does have its perks.

"Don't take it so badly, Tyson." Max assured him, patting him on the shoulder. "It's only our first test. I'm sure you'll improve next time."

Tyson groaned when he peeked at his friend's paper. "Easy for you to say. You got a 'B' for everything. I would kill for grades like that."

"Well, if you would kill for my grades, I wonder what you would do for grades like Kai's." Max said, scratching the back of his head.

"Kai?" suspiciously, Tyson twisted in his seat to look at his captain who was strategically seated two seats away from him with Ray and Jade between them. "Hey, Kai! What did you get?"

He scowled. "Somehow I don't think that's any of your business."

"I was just asking, man." Tyson immaturely made a face at the other teen. He then turned to the next person who could yield him the information. "Jade, what grades did he get? Tell me please?"

She sighed, knowing well that Dragoon's master could be relentless if he felt like it. "If you must know, Tyson, Kai got straight 'A's for everything. There. Are you happy now?"

Tyson's eyes grew uncharacteristically wide at the news as he gapped at her then whirled back to Kai. "You didn't!"

Lazily cracking open one eye, Kai looked at him. "I didn't what?"

"What are you, some freak? How on earth do you get all 'A's for everything?" Tyson demanded.

"Unlike some of us, Tyson, Kai actually takes time to revise his lessons." Kenny said firmly. "He doesn't go to sleep with a book under his pillow hoping all the information would be in his head by tomorrow."

"Hey, I read somewhere that it works." he protested defensively.

Hilary laughed in mockery. "Apparently, your brain is too small for that to work."

"Shut up, Hilary." Tyson growled. He eyed Kenny again. "I guess I don't need to ask you what you got since you're also one of those weird kids who born with all the knowledge in the world."

"I would beg to differ, Tyson." Kenny spoke up defensively. "I stayed up late too to study for the test. What may I ask were you doing the night before the test?"

A mild blush appeared across Tyson's cheeks in embarrassment. "Um…Watching a movie and eating popcorn." he chuckled.

"And there you have it, people. The best way to be an idiot." Jade said loudly.

"Okay. I get your point." Tyson glared at the raven-haired girl. "But enough about me. Now, Ray, ma'man! What did you get?"

Ray grimaced as he checked his grades again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Let's just say I won't be diving into the field of maths and science as my future career choice."

"Bummer." Tyson said with a shrug. Besides he couldn't really picture Ray as a scientist or mathematician.

Max glanced at Jade who was looking through her grades with a seemly satisfied look. "How did you do?"

"Got a 'B' for everything except for an 'A' for English and a 'C' for History." she pulled a face. "I'm telling you that History teacher hates me."

"You didn't exactly study for that paper." Kai reminded her plaintively.

"Hey, you weren't there when he had me do a full research assignment on the Meiji era just because I wasn't paying attention in class." Jade said defensively with a pout that was innocent.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Besides, I'm street smart, not book smart."

"True." Kai said, not at all denying it.

She sighed, resting her head on her arms. "I'm doomed to remain high school. And my boyfriend who is an ever smart-ass genius won't help me out one bit."

Kai rolled his eyes but one could clearly see the beginnings of a tiny amused smile cracking at the left corner of his lip. As Max nodded and patted her arm sympathetically, Kenny perked in suddenly with a cry that announced that he got mail. The Chief shoved the laptop onto Ray's desk, allowing the others to crowd around.

"We've got mail for the Big Guy down at the BBA." Tyson read aloud said. "He wants all of us to come in after school for a meeting. Says it's important."

"Ten bucks says it has something to do with the format for the Championship tournaments." Max said.

Tyson snorted. "What makes you so sure about that?"

"A feeling."

"You're on."

* * *

"Hello, kids. Sorry to call you in such short notice but I think you would want to hear this from me before I announce it officially." Mr. Dickenson said cheerily, beaming. He placed a stack of files on the meeting table where they all sat around. "But before I get down to business, how was school?" 

After a few synchronized upbeat mumbles of 'Glad to be back', 'Super!', 'It was okay.' from Hilary, Max and Kenny respectively and several more dejected, sarcastic comments of 'Can I burn down the school?', 'Kill me now', 'Stressing', and a 'Hn' from Tyson, Jade, Ray and Kai also respectively, the old man chuckled heartily. "Glad you had fun and no, Tyson. You may not burn down the school."

"So what's this about, Mr. Dickenson?" Ray asked.

"Ah, yes. Back to more important business. I'm sure you would be pleased to hear this."

"Don't tell me need another new member on the team...?" Tyson whined.

Jade would have kicked Tyson from under the table but Hilary beat her to it, making the boy yelp in surprise and she warned him to be silent with a glare.

"Don't worry, my dear boy." Mr. Dickenson assured him. "This year the maximum number of members on a team will be five and it will be held in a new format!"

"Score!" Max declared. "He held out an expecting hand to his betting partner. "Pay up, Tyson."

Groaning, Tyson surrendered ten bucks to the blonde kid. Mr. Dickenson blinked at them in confusion.

"Am I missing something here?"

"Nothing much. Just Max suddenly gaining psychic powers." Jade said off-handedly. She leaned in, more interested on other things than a silly bet. "You were saying, Mr. D...?"

Blinking again, the chairman had to retrace his memory to where he left off. "Oh, yes. As I was saying, this year's tournaments will be held in a new format in order to keep the game fresh and interesting."

"Um, does anyone else notice that we keep changing formats each year?" Tyson asked aloud, half raising his hand. "I mean, in our first year, it was the best out of three matches."

"And the year after, it was tag-team." Max joined in.

"And the year after that, it was also tag-team except it was round-robin with substitutes on each team." Ray reminded them.

"And last year, it was best out of five." Jade concluded.

"I just don't see how anymore different you can make it this year." Tyson said.

"Like I said, all in the name of keeping things interesting and to keep the game alive." Mr. Dickenson pointed out with a chuckle.

They sweatdropped.

He went on then. "However, I can assure you that this year's tournaments will not be like any other. Because this year, we will be introducing three matches that will consists of one doubles and two singles rounds. It'll be the best out of three."

"Doubles?" Kai questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"That means two of you will represent the team in a two-on-two battle. It'll require a lot of teamwork and patience and I believe it'll do plenty of good to new teams out there. That means four bladers will officially be competing in the match. The fifth person will be the substitute." Mr. Dickenson said. "Furthermore, to be fair to newer and younger bladers, we have also decided to have another national tournament a month from now. The winning team will be Japan's representative for the World Championships."

"Sweet." Tyson said, rubbing his hands together. "Now we can battle other bladers and see if we're really the best in Japan."

"That's a nice way to see it, Tyson. Especially since it's coming from you." Hilary said suspiciously.

"I just think it'll be a great opportunity to try out that doubles thing." Tyson said with a glint of excitement on his face. "Max and I will be awesome!"

"Yeah!" Max agreed, giving his bestfriend a high-five.

Kenny was equally as excited. "I'll run a program for you to see how compatible you really are."

"Ah, and before I forget, the BBA will be holding a special Beyblading carnival this weekend for publicity reasons and you kids are especially invited." Mr. Dickenson said, handing them out tickets. "It will be a lot of fun! There'll be a Ferris wheel, cotton candy and games. There'll even be an area to hold Beybattles."

"Awesome, Mr. D!" Tyson exclaimed and kissed his ticket. "We are so there!"

"Way to make a decision with the rest of us, Tyson." Kai deadpanned sarcastically.

Tyson pouted, giving his teammate puppy eyes. "Aw, come on, Kai...Did you hear him? There'll be a Ferris wheel –"

"–and cotton candy!" Max cut in, pulling off his own pleading puppy dog look. Among the two, it was obvious that Max was pulling off a better job than Tyson since it was possible that it was he who invented the look to begin with. "It'll be fun. A day out with the whole team! Please?"

"Please, Kai? Pretty please?" Tyson begged.

Hilary made a face in disgust, somewhat glad that they were in a private room where no one could see them. "Ugh, I would go only if Tyson quits pulling that face."

"What's wrong with my face!" insulted, Tyson demanded, dropping the charade.

"Nothing's wrong with your face." Ray interrupted quickly. Then an afterthought later, he added. "But seriously, man...it is kinda creepy."

"Yeah, pouting is just not your thing." Jade said, sympathetically consoling the insulted boy.

Tyson sulked. "What about you, Jade? Will you be coming? Or do we have to drag you there kicking and screaming?"

"That'll be a sight." Kai drawled to distract Max. The blonde boy was starting to strain his nerves.

"I don't know..." Jade began. "I usually don't like crowds. Big crowd especially..." then noticing the teary cute look Max was giving her, she hastily added. "But then again why not? Sounds like fun. I'm in!"

Ray and Hilary were silently applauding Max. And that leaves Kai.

The captain was glaring in disapproval at Jade "Pathetic. Broken by a puppy look."

"Hey, you didn't see the tears forming in his eyes." Jade informed him. Then with her own puppy look, she said to him. "Come on, Kai. It'll be fun. You can't leave out there all alone without my knight in shining amour. Please...?"

"No. I'm not going and that is final."

"There might be clowns and I hate clowns, Kai...pretty please?"

"No."

Her lower lip quivered and her green eyes, blinking cutely were laced with innocence. Innocence which he knew were just a ploy to get him to succumb and the worst part was...it was working.

"...No."

A pout and a toss of her luxurious long hair that rested to frame her face in a portrait of young girl innocence. He hated it when she used that against him.

"..."

* * *

A/N: R&R pls!  



	4. All the Things She said

A/n: No excuses this time. Just plain lazy. Exams are over for now and hopefully I speed it up so keep reviewing. By the way, in case some are wondering, I came up with the 'one-doubles, 2-singles match' format for the tournament from watching too much Prince of Tennis of the late. Damn is that show addictive...

So anyway! Loads of thanks to my faithful reviewers! Your patience and dedication amazes me to no end and don't think I'm not grateful because I'm supremely grateful! Hugs and kisses to...blaznXrapture, kaiROXmyWorld, Brazilian Phoenix, Sakura-Moonlight, Calli Maxwell, ILoveAnime89, faith and baby angel.

Now this is where things spice up. Read on!

* * *

Chapter 3: All the things she said

"I can't believe that you managed to persuade Kai to go for that carnival."

Half-balancing the phone receiver on her shoulder to her ear, Jade cradled a bowl of pancake mixture, beating it consistently with a wooden spatula. Her focus however was on the person on the other end of the line. "Tell me about it. Trust me. It wasn't easy."

"I'll take your word for it." Alexis mused on the other end.

In the background, Jade could hear the sound of motors running and wheels squealing and she rolled her eyes. Must be Ian getting in touch with his childhood with the help of the Play-station 2. "He does need to get out more and socialize more. Have more fun."

The other Russian girl snorted. "Yeah, right. You're just dragging him down with you. When you suffer, you aren't going down alone."

"Who am I kidding? You're right." Jade grinned. Single-handedly, she warmed up the frying pan with butter and spread the pancake mixture all over it. Her voice grew serious as she changed subjects. "So, how's that thing coming along? Did you get much?"

"I'm working on it. It won't be easy but I'll dig up something"

"That's good to hear." the pancake grew golden brown and the sweet scene of it whiffed from the kitchen through the mansion. "Do Tala and the others suspect anything?"

"No. You know how dense they can be."

"Good. And thanks for doing this...for me. It's really important to Kai and I really appreciate your help."

"No problem. But are you gonna tell him?" Alexis asked.

Jade hesitated for a moment. "I will. Eventually. When I have more solid proof."

"Okay, I get it. My lips are sealed...Hey, thank Kai again on my behalf for letting us stay at his mansion. He didn't really have to..." Alexis said gratitude clear in her voice. "Mr. Dickenson was more than willing to put us up at the BBA safe house."

"You know how Kai can be. Tough guy on the outside, softie on the inside." Jade smiled as she added the hot pancake to the pile on the kitchen table. "Besides, all those rooms and no one to use them. It just seems like a huge waste of a mansion. I quote Tyson's words."

"Speaking about the mansion, we've been living here for two months now and Tala still keeps getting lost on the way to the kitchen –" sound of pillow being thrown and hitting its intended target. "–OUCH! TALA! KNOCK IT OFF!"

Jade had to keep the phone at arm length to prevent permanent ear damage although she could still hear Alexis and Tala over the line though. Kai walked in then, raising an eyebrow at the racket coming from the object in Jade's hand.

"Tala and Alexis again?" he guessed, settling for a seat next to her.

"Yup." rolling her eyes at the phone, she placed it on the table, muffling the noise a little. Handing Kai a mug of coffee, she turned to help herself to the freshly cooked pancake. "You would think that after living under the same roof for months, they would have learned to tolerate each other."

His lips curled as he sipped the drink. Despite her reluctance to get up early on school days, it was always on weekends that he would always find Jade in the kitchen before him, wiping up her renowned pancakes that had won over the team's heart in the first place. Tyson had often mentioned how envious he was of Kai...

"We would know, wouldn't we?" he said.

She feigned insulted and gave him his share of breakfast, offering him maple syrup which he declined. "Eat up. We are supposed to meet up with Mr. Dickenson and the others in half an hour. We wouldn't want Tyson to know you had pancakes for breakfast now, would we?"

A ghost smirk on his face, Kai said sarcastically as he reached for the newspaper on the table. "Yes, mom."

"Hey, Jade? Are you still there?"

Kai glared at her, silently ordering her to answer it. She shook her head in defiance but when he picked it up and held it out to her, she sighed in exasperation and snatched it from him.

"Still here, Alexis." she said, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Hm...What's that? Oh, hey, Tala...Why yes. He's right here as a matter a fact. Hang on. I'll put him on." smirking fully, Jade held out the phone to the slate-haired blader. "Yours."

Looking mildly irritated for having his breakfast interrupted, Kai took the phone from her and held it up to his ear. "What?"

"Now, now, Kai. You should learn to be more polite when you're answering the phone." Tala chuckled on the other end. "Especially to your bestfriend."

"Shove it, Valkov." the phoenix retorted.

"Sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of bed...or does it have something to do with that carnival you're forced to go to?"

"Hn." almost viciously, Kai took a jab at his pancake.

A scoff of amusement was sliding across Jade's face as she watched him over the rim of her own cup of coffee. Tala was a dear friend and that being said, he was also the only one, apart from her, who knew how to intentionally get on the phoenix's nerves.

_Hm...must be a wolf thing._

"By the way, have you heard about the new arrangement for the tournaments this year? That new doubles thing?" Tala pressed on.

"Mr. Dickenson told us about it in person."

"It'll be a piece of cake. Don't worry, Kai. I'll remember to mention you in my victory speech."

Kai fought the urge to roll his eyes and instead concentrated on taking out his annoyance on the innocent pancake in front him. Who would have thought Tala could sound like Tyson...? "In your dreams, you mean..."

There was a pause from the other boy and judging from the sound of something hard smacking against something over the phone, he guessed the red-haired Russian was playing billiards again. While it was morning in Japan, it was night in Russia and Tala has taken quite a liking for playing billiards at night...and also a certain teammate.

_Tala and Alexis...This should be interesting... _

The said teen answered the phone then, breaking Kai from his plotting to get back at the other boy. "Guess I'll be seeing you during the championships then."

"Yeah..."

"I'll be ready."

"So will I."

"And Kai...good luck, man."

Despite the many times Tala had gotten on his nerves, he always managed to find a way back into Kai's tiny circle of people he considered friends. A tiny smile slipped up as he returned the favor. "You too, Tala. Good luck and I'm not talking about just the championships."

"Wha–" Tala sputtered. "I have no idea what in the world are you talking about?"

"Denial will get you no where, Tala."

He could almost imagine the other rolling his eyes in frustration. "You're impossible. I have no idea how Jade puts up with you. Tell her I salute her for keeping you under control."

"Will do."

After saying their goodbyes, Kai resumed eating his breakfast and reading the latest world news, grateful for the peace and quiet at last. Jade was already cleaning up her plate and cup.

"Tala says hi." he informed her.

"Hm."

"You know...we do have people to do that for you." he pointed out gruffly without looking up.

"I know. It just helps me to think." she insisted, drying her hands on a piece of cloth. Her hand came to a stop for a moment as she looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Do you think _there_ will be clowns?"

He shrugged. "It's a carnival, Jade, where parents ditch their kids for the day. What do you think?"

"W-ell..." she began very slowly, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "I think it was really nice of you to agree to come for this carnival anyway."

"I would think that I didn't have much of a choice." he replied, eyes still glued on the paper. He winced in pain and pleasure when she nipped his ear playfully. "And you weren't helping at all."

Her breath ticked his neck as she nuzzled him there and whispered to his ear. "Either way, you deserve a reward."

Intrigued, Kai met the green-eyed girl halfway, kissing her sweet curled lips which he had become addicted to. She made to pull away but his hand found the back of her neck, keeping her just where he wanted her to be. She tasted like breakfast. Pancake and coffee rolled into one. This was definitely better than eating. A silence moan escaped her as he nibbled on her lower lip, applying enough pressure and need into the kiss to let her know that he needed her, that he loved her.

Panting they parted but only by a tiny inch between their lips still tingling for the taste of the other.

"What time did you say we were meeting the others again?" he asked, pulling her onto his lap.

"Half an hour."

"More than enough time."

In a fit of giggles, her surprised yelp was quickly muffled by his lips against hers.

* * *

Watching the two Russians walk up to them, Ray raised an eyebrow at the sight of Kai's favorite scarf wrapped around Jade's throat in a seemly protective manner and he felt a grin tug at his lips. Now he wondered what they have been up to. 

The carnival has just about started and already families with children filled the parking lot-turned-funfair. Colorful balloons dotted the air, pulled around by children. Their laughter rang in the air, an appropriate sync to the scene of a tall Ferris wheel in the background surrounded by food stalls and game stands. Peddlers lined both sides of the streets, offering sweets, cakes, puppets and spare Beyblade parts for sale. And to round it off, one particularly loud voice cut through the noise when its owner noticed them.

"Where have you been? You're late. We've been waiting for you for almost an hour."

"Sorry. We just got caught up in stuffs." Jade said, not sounding sorry at all.

"I'll bet." Ray said, grinning fully. His eyes indicated the scarf. "Ow...!"

She elbowed him sharply, effectively hiding the light blush that colored her cheeks.

"Come on, guys. Mr. Dickenson wants us up on stage when he makes the official announcement for the nationals." Hilary said, tugging on Kenny's arm.

With an 'hn', Kai headed past them. Max stared after him, tilting his head curiously.

"He's in a good mood." he observed, still watching their captain

Hilary, Tyson and Kenny gapped at him. "How can you tell?"

That only strengthened Ray's theory and widened his grin further. Jade shot him down with a glare.

"Not a word, cat-boy." she warned.

"Me?" he feigned innocent. "Believe me. I wouldn't dream of saying anything...regarding that hickey Kai gave you."

She kicked at his shin but with the catlike reflexes that were his neko-jin heritage, he dodged and dashed ahead to catch up with the team. Jade fumed silently, unconsciously adjusting the scarf to cover the darken skin just below her ear. The last thing she needed was a bunch of rabid Kai-fan girls finding out that the object of their crush was no longer available. As far as the whole world was concern, Kai Hiwatari and Jade Raven were _not _a couple. To the public they were bickering rivals who were forced to live under same roof due to authority orders and nothing more. A foolproof story Mr. Dickenson had created. And she wasn't about to blow it now over one hickey.

With a sigh, she fingered the precious scarf once more before she turned towards the stage area where she could hear Tyson and Max both taking turns to test the microphone.

"Testing, testing. 1, 2, 3? H-ello..."

Groaning silently, she rolled her eyes and started forward, somewhat reluctant. A tug on her pants made her stop. Turning, she found herself looking down into a pair of crimson orbs, wide and soft. A sweet chubby face held those eyes, followed by a small soft mouth and a button nose. Dark wavy hair spilled down to the child's shoulders in silky tresses. She wore a white blouse and a long purple skirt that covered her bare feet. She looked to be about six or seven.

"Flower." the little girl said simply, holding out a lily by its stalk.

Jade stared at the very familiar flower, taking in the whiteness of its petals and was reminded of her mother. Her beloved mother who died when she was a child of five and who came back the previous year as a spirit to speak to her while she laid in a coma. With trembling fingers, she accepted the flower and smiled softly. "Thank you."

Instead of replying, the child reached out to touch the phoenix pendent that has somehow escaped the folds of the scarf. Soft chubby fingers clasped the object carefully as though she knew the sentimental value it has to the older girl. The same fingers then slide up to cup Jade's cheek and gently with wide eyes filled with sincere innocence and a sad glimmer of knowledge, the girl gazed at her.

"Love will bring you to your destiny. That's all it will take to stop it from happening."

"Wha –? Stop what from happening?" confused at the sudden seriousness of a child's revelation, Jade blinked.

"Jade! Come on."

Hilary's voice scattered the perplexed thoughts, making her divert her eyes for a moment to see the other girl running up to her. She turned back to ask the child what she meant but to her surprise, all that stood before her was empty air. She glanced about wildly, only catching the ends of a skirt disappearing into the ever-growing crowd.

"Jade, what are you doing?" Hilary's hand rested upon her shoulder, ajaring her all thoughts of going after the little girl. "They're starting."

"Oh." looking back once more, Jade admitted defeat and nodded. "I'll be there."

"That's a nice flower." Hilary pointed out suddenly, reminding her of the lily. "Who gave it to you? Oh, wait. Don't tell me. Some fan of yours. Boy, won't Kai be jealous."

Partially aware that the brunette had taken her hand and was dragging her along, Jade allowed herself to look back once, searching for that one little girl before she turned to follow after Hilary. The lily slipped from her fingers and drifted to the ground like a fallen angel soon to be crushed by the footsteps of mankind.

* * *

The opening ceremony went smoothly and Tyson and Max found themselves overwhelmed by children wanting their signature and teenagers challenging them to a battle. Hilary and Kenny watched from a distance, jumping in only to make sure that Tyson doesn't make a fool of himself. 

"Stop that, Tyson! You're acting like a five year old!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Are those two up to their antics again?" Ray asked when he returned with a hotdog in hand.

"If you would call _that _immature display of behavior, antics." Kai snorted, folding his arms in front of him.

"Lighten up, Kai and have some fun." the neko-jin said teasingly. He pointed with his hotdog. "Look, they even have balloon animals!"

Kai glanced alongside at him, giving him an odd look. "I correct myself when I thought you were sensible."

Ray chuckled and lifted the hotdog to his mouth, taking a chewy bite of it. He chewed thoughtfully for a long moment then swallowed. "So what you and Jade up to just now?"

"None of your business." suddenly reminded of his girlfriend, Kai scanned the area for her. He recalled last seeing her talking to a group of children before Ray had distracted him. Now that group of children had moved onto Max, pleading with him to show them his Draciel and Jade was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Unless her eyes were playing tricks on her, Jade was certain she had caught a glimpse of the crimson eyed child standing a far distance, hidden behind a tent, watching her. Quickly excusing herself from her fans, she had gone over to where the child was only to find that the girl had taken off into the crowd once again. Jade had followed, intending on asking what she meant. 

'Love will bring you to your destiny...' she had said. "...That's all it will take to stop it from happening.'

_Stop what? What is my destiny, _frowning to herself, she came to a halt, looking through the crowd when she lost the girl._ Question of the year. You can't just tell me that love will bring me to my destiny when I don't even know what my destiny is and just run off. _

There!

Spotting the flying ends of a purple skirt and dark hair disappearing behind a corner, Jade hurried after her, muttering brisk apologies to unseen faces. Turning around the corner, she came to a stop. The street was filled with people finding their own business. None looked conspicuous to her. The child was not to be seen although it would have been impossible for her to slip out of sight so quickly.

"Okay, I must be going insane." she mused aloud.

"Insanity is a state of mind where one can't be reached. You, I can assure is not insane." a woman's voice said from behind.

Jade turned, her eyes narrowing on the tall regal woman standing before her at the entrance of a purple and blue tent. The sign hanging above read 'FORTUNE-TELLER.'

She was guessing that would be the woman in front of her, regarding her with a raised curved eyebrow. She certainly dressed the part, wearing a scarf in her hair, bangle earrings, large bracelets, a peasant blouse and a long skirt that covered the golden chains on her ankles. Her long curly hair was red, pulled back from her face by the scarf. Her eyes however were of an unusual color of pale green mixed with a ring of yellow around her iris, reminding Jade of a cat.

"Are you here for a reading?" the woman asked with a thick European accent.

"Actually I was looking for a kid." Jade quickly described the girl's features. "She ran past here. Have you seen her?"

The woman tilted her head, tapping her chin with one perfectly manicured finger. "Ah, no. I have not seen this child that you speak off. Is she of great importance to you?"

"Uh, not really. She said some really odd things and I just..." a thought came to mind and Jade looked back at the woman. "What kind of readings can you do?"

"That depends. What kind of readings do you want?" the fortune-teller replied.

Jade shrugged. "Same as everybody else, I guess. I want my future told."

"Come in then." pushing aside the flap of the tent, the woman held it open for Jade to step through and entered herself. She sat down at the table in the middle and motioned for the teenager to sit as well. Her long callous fingers picked up the deck of cards sitting on the table and with calm dexterity, she began dealing the cards.

Jade thought she recognized the Celtic cross pattern she was using.

"You know this pattern." the woman observed. "You don't need to answer. Many fortune-tellers believe that the Celtic cross is the most powerful spread of the cards that can be done."

A chill of anxiety ran up Jade's spine. She was aware of magic, having seen the arcane power in many places during her travels. They were as real as the ancient spirit that resided within the core of her beyblade.

The woman reached out and turned over a card. The card showed an angel watching over a naked man and woman. The Lovers. "There's a boy."

"In the line of work I do, I know plenty of boys." Jade said skeptically even though she had a good idea who the woman meant.

"This one is special. He means the world to you. Together you have faced many trials, tribulations and hardships. And because of that you believe that your love is strong and will overcome all in your path." the woman said. She turned the next card, her eyes somewhat softening as she went on. "However, his love for you, child, will be his undoing."

"Come again?"

The gypsy leaned forward, her eyes serious and solemn. "This is the Five of Cups. A time will come when it's either you or him. He'll choose to sacrifice his life for yours. If you love him, you must be the first to take the step. The first to make the ultimate sacrifice."

Jade stiffened in her seat. "I love him. Of course I would sacrifice my life for him."

"The ultimate sacrifice doesn't necessarily mean your life." the woman said sadly before she flipped over another card one that revealed the Wheel of Fortune. "A greater power seems to have an interest in your destiny."

_Love will bring you to your destiny..._

"I would suggest that you should just let things be the way they are but I doubt you would follow my advice." the woman said, looking up at her with a thin smile.

"I might if I have any idea what you're talking about."

Chuckling softly under her breath, the fortune-teller opened another card, revealing the Moon. "This is your past. You have always been afraid of the unknown. You have spent almost your whole life running. You have always been lost, not knowing your place in life."

She revealed the fifth card, placing it a few inches above the first two. On it was a picture of a man battered and wounded. "The Nine of Swords. It signifies your beliefs. Because of your past, you are wary of all those around you even though you want to trust them more than anything else. You are afraid of being hurt. That's why you had placed a barrier around your heart. But in time of need, you have the spirit of a warrior and you're prepared to toss all precaution and wariness into the fire. Within you are the hidden reserves you need to prevail."

The sixth card was placed on the right of the first two cards and it depicted a tower struck by lightning and two figures falling from it. "I foresee a great battle coming. The role you will play in this battle is vital. The battle to end all battles."

_The World championships. What else could she mean? _

Noticing the sure look on the young teenager's face, the fortune-teller continued "The challenges you faced last year will be nothing compared to what is coming. All that you hold close and dear will be a stake."

The woman's words bored into Jade's mind, reminding her of what they had gone through the previous year. The fierce battle between the Bladebreakers and the Demolition Boys. Black Dranzer. Alexis's possession by an evil Bitbeast, nearly killing the both of them. What Boris tried to do to her. Her own coma.

_How can anything compare to last year? After all that have we faced against...Boris and Voltaire...what can anything compare to that? _

While she was absorbed in her thoughts, the fortune-teller turned over the seventh card. "The Queen of Wands. You believe in your abilities and that of others. By this, you have and will face many obstacles."

The eighth card opened to show of a bright star shining over a woman drawing water and pouring it upon the earth. "The Star symbolizes you in the eyes of others. Because of all you have been through and your belief in others, they see you as hope. In their darkest moment, you are what that represents hope and light at the end of the tunnel."

Frowning, Jade couldn't help but wondered whether that was how her friends saw her as. She has brought them so much pain and suffering the previous year. Do they actually see her as their hope and light?

The woman reached for the ninth card. For some reason, her fingers seemed to shake as she grasped the edge of the card. When she finally turned it over, an odd sensation of melancholy settled within the confines of the tent. The Devil. "This card represents darkness coming your way. In due time, a man will enter the lives of you and your friends and steal what is theirs. His intentions are pure evil and if he is not stopped, his coming will mean the end of the world."

"This is a waste of time." Jade said, standing up abruptly. _No. We took care of Boris and Voltaire last year. Biovolt is gone. For good. _

"Is it, child?" the gypsy leaned back in her chair as though exhausted. "Or am I speaking more truth than I should know? I can feel more magic in the cards today than I have ever felt in a long time."

The shiver that ran down her back warned that the woman's words held truth in them as she turned to leave. Jade deeply regretted stepping into the fortune-teller's tent in the first place. She only wanted to discover the destiny her mother and the mysterious child had told her of and it seems that she was no where near than when she had first entered the tent.

Behind her, the gypsy turned over the last and final card. Jade was already halfway out the door when she spoke up, the tone of seriousness making the girl catch her words whether she wanted to or not. The words rang in her, stirring something within her.

"Faith will find you soon and you will see that all that I say now is true. You might want to keep an open mind then if you want to prevail."

* * *

A/n: The Tarot card readings part are actually based on actual readings. I've done research on Tarot readings and everything is actually quite true depending on how you interprete them. Neat, huh? 

Read and Review please!


	5. The Battles We Must Fight

A/n: I bet you're all just waiting to strangle me now...hehe...Sorry for the late update! College has started up once again and assignments are piling in. I hope you don't expect me to put my education on hold just so I could satisfy your needs. Anyway I'm back with an update. Hope you enjoy it and **review!**

Special thanks my reviewers: Blue Flaming Cheetah, xLady-Helenax, Calli Maxwell, Sakura-Moonlight, faith, LadyOfTheBluePhoenix, kaiROXmyWorld, blaznXrapture and anyone else who read.

* * *

Chapter 4 – The battles we must fight... 

The sun rose slowly in the distance, signaling a new day and not just any new day. The start of the Nationals. One month has passed since the BBA Carnival and during that period, the Bladebreakers were forced to endure the strenuous workout program the Chief had planned for them. But in the end, it had all been worth it for Kenny finally deemed them ready and virtually unbeatable.

_The Bladebreakers unbeatable...who would have thought..., _Kai thought as he watched his fellow teammates bicker in the waiting room of the stadium. Certainly not him. Rolling his eyes, he leaned against the lockers as they waited for Kenny to return with the line-up for the tournament. Max and Jade were checking their beyblades and launchers', making sure everything was in perfect condition.

"I call for that burger, Ray." Tyson whined.

"You had five burgers for breakfast." Ray said in exasperation. His taller frame enabled him to keep the burger away from the slightly shorter teen as he held it above their heads.

"I was hungry and still am!"

"Tyson, eating too much might make loose your concentration." Max reminded him.

His loud teammate pouted. "Not eating enough might make me loose my concentration too. And like I always say, better safe than sorry. Now gimme that burger, Ray!"

Without warning he tackled the tiger and they went down in a heap, squirming after the food in Ray's out-stretched hand. That was the position Kenny found them in when he returned.

"I can't leave you guys alone for a few minutes without you making a fool out of yourselves." Kenny said, shaking his head.

"Bu Ray stole my burger..."

"And a good thing too. Too much eating before the competition might give you a bad tummy ache." the Chief said, making Max and Jade snicker at Tyson's reddened expression.

"Fine..." sighing in resignation, Tyson pulled himself up then helped Ray. "So what's the snitch?"

Eager to tell, Kenny placed his laptop on the table and started typing. "Well, there are officially sixteen teams in this tournament and they are all divided into two blacks. Block A and Block B. We're in Block A."

"Sixteen?" Jade remarked, impressed by the increase in bladers in Japan. "That's a lot for a tournament at this level."

"Why else would they join? They all want a shot at beating us." Kai stated.

As they took in their captain's words, Kenny coughed. "Alright, based on my analysis, I would say that Tyson and Max are our best bet for the doubles match. Tyson's offense and Max's defense is the best combo we have. They can both make up for each other in the area they lack in and furthermore, they had outstanding teamwork."

"Sweet." the two boys high-fived.

"Ray, you'll take the first singles match." Kenny said, turning to the Chinese blader. "I've enhanced Driger's speed and attack ring so you should be able to handle yourself out there. And as for the second single match, Kai and I have agreed that Jade'll blade that match." at the last part, he looked at the aforementioned girl. "Alright?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure."

"Good. Kai will be the substitute then." Kenny nodded before turning to the two younger and more immature members. "Alright, you two. Remember the tactics we've been working on?"

"Don't worry, Chief. If Tyson get out of hand, I'll be there to control him." Max assured him. "We're ready."

"Good. Cause from what I heard, this tournament won't be as easy as you think."

* * *

"AND TAKING THE WIN AND MOVING INTO THE SEMI-FINALS...THE BLADEBREAKERS!" Jazzman announced, earning an approved roar from the audience that packed the stadium that day to witness the making of Japan's champions. 

In a daze that caught everyone by surprise, the team swept through all their matches with ease, defeating every opponent there is. Not one team so far stood a chance against the champion team. In every match the crowd only seemed to grow louder and louder, chanting the team name. Among the crowd, was Hilary who was cheering for all her worth and Tyson's grandfather who was no doubt a proud old happy geezer. Then during the break, half the stadium emptied to greet the reigning champions.

Bombarded by fans left and right, Tyson felt as though he had died and gone to heaven. Here in the Beystadium, he owned the place. No Miss Flutie and her ridiculous rules about grades and extra activities. In the Beystadium, he was just him, Tyson Granger. World champion.

"Now, now, guys." he told his fans. "Line up and I'll sign for you."

As the crowd quickly obeyed to his wishes, eager to patiently wait for their turn, in the waiting room, the team waited in a not-so-patient manner for him.

"It's a waste of time waiting for him." Jade said, tapping her feet impatiently. "We should just start without him."

"I'm with her." Dizzi said and if she had fingers, she would have jabbed her finger in Jade's direction.

"While Tyson's busy distracting the fans, we need to check out the competition so far." Kenny said.

"Who are we up against next?" Kai asked.

Kenny brought up a data page on his laptop screen and referred to it as he spoke. "A team called the Dynamitz. I've seen them battle and they're not bad. I think you and Tyson might have your work cut out, Max."

"Don't worry, Chief. We can handle them." Max said to assure the shorter boy.

"I hope so. From what I've seen, they actually quite good considering they do not have any Bitbeasts." Kenny stated in an as-a-matter-a-fact way. "And Ray, don't think you're getting off easy. Your opponent is quite the blader too."

Like Max, Ray smiled in assurance. "Don't worry. Driger and I will take care of them."

Jade sighed then and sulked. "You know...at this rate, I doubt I would ever get a chance to battle."

The tournament began ten minutes later and with Hilary's help, the team managed to pry Tyson away from his fans and drag him back to the arena where the semi-finals were about to begin. The other team was already ready, blades and launchers out and at the ready. To the audience, they seemed like a team of five normal pre-teens out to take on the world champions but as Kenny had said; their abilities quickly changed the doubts of everybody watching.

Jazzman rose up to his perch, microphone in hand and he was already yelling in it. "WELCOME BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE ARE NOW RESUMING THE TOURNAMENT WITH THE SEMI-FINALS FOR BLACK A AND THE WINNING TEAM WILL BATTLE THE BLOCK B WINNERS FOR THE CHANCE TO BE JAPAN'S REPRESENTATIVES IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!"

"I wonder if yelling is really necessary." Hilary muttered, covering her ears until the noise stopped.

"Hey, that dude's got some cool vocal chords." Grandpa Granger commented, mysteriously not at all affected. "He should consider singing as a career."

Hilary groaned inwardly but when the crowd around her started to cheer for the Bladebreakers, she joined in too. The banner that read 'GO, BLADEBREAKERS!' which she made was up in the air and waved from side to side to accompany her loud cheers.

The roars, cheers and applauds that greeted the reigning champion team was more deafening than anything anyone has heard and the noise shook the stadium. The only other time the noises from the crowd of fans rattled the rafts of a stadium was during the world championship finals the previous year. The fact Tyson came forward to encourage them didn't help at all.

"Check out the crowd today! We're talking full house!" A.J commentated

Brad couldn't agreed more. "What do you expect, A.J? Practically the whole of Japan is gathered here today in hopes of defeating the Bladebreakers."

"Presenting the Bladebreakers, Japan's very own four time world champions!" Jazzman introduced. "And their opponents for today, hoping to get a chance to represent Japan, the Dynamitz!" The crowd roars their anticipation, cheering for their respective favorite teams. "First up, we have Max and Tyson versus Shidou and Ryujin. Bladers, take your position!"

As the four bladers approached the dish, Tyson studied his opponents, taking in their physical features. Somewhat they reminded him of when he first started blading as an amateur pro as Kai would put it kindly. One of them, Shidou he guess, had dark blonde hair and coffee brown eyes that were filled with determination. His partner, also given brown eyes, was instead dark-haired. His features were downcast and to Tyson, he seemed to lack the confidence needed in the game. Or so he would want his opponents to think.

Glancing at Max, Tyson could see that his partner had drawn up the same conclusion as he and they shared a grin. They certainly didn't make it to the top by underestimating their adversaries no matter how weak and frail they may seem to be.

"Bladers, ready!" Jazzman yelled.

Beybladers were twisted into place and launchers were held out, waiting to be launched.

"3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!"

With a unison shout from all four boys, beyblades were released into the dish and Dragoon and Draciel got to work, dealing and smashing into their opponents' blades. Shidou's purple beyblade somehow found enough room to maneuver an attack, striking out at Draciel but steadfast the turtle stood. Tyson continued his swift attacks on the red beyblade belonging to Ryujin.

"Alright, Tyson!" Hilary shouted. "That's it! Keep it up!"

No one noticed the look that passed between Shidou and his partner and the twin smirk that followed after for everyone's eyes were on the four blades. Without warning the purple blade broke away from Max and slammed into Dragoon, catching it by surprise and nearly tilting it to the side.

Tyson gasped. "What the-?"

"Oh, boy. This does not look good for Tyson." Brad observed.

"That Shidou kid's got loads of power to punch, Yikes! Here comes Ryujin!" A.J yelled.

Just as the white beyblade found ground again, this time Ryujin's blade tackled it, sending it flying to the other end of the dish. Flipping in mid-air, Dragoon managed to land upright, still spinning but wobbling dangerously.

"Draciel, move in. Help him!" Max ordered.

The green blade moved to obey but to his immediate shock, the red beyblade cut through its intended path, knocking it back and preventing Draciel from aiding Dragoon. Shidou's blade rushed in, hitting the defenseless white blade repeatedly before pulling back to regain more momentum to finish the job.

"Dragoon! Hang in there!" Tyson yelled, mind racing.

Ryujin smiled coldly as he watched his blade keep the green one at bay while his partner moved in. "One down, one to go."

"Not if I could help it." Max said through clenched teeth and snapped forth an arm. "Go, Draciel!"

Drawing strength from its master's determination to win, the spin of Draciel kicked in, increasing in speed and power. It ricocheted into the offensive red beyblade, knocking it from the beydish in one attack. Ryujin gasped, crying out his anger but Draciel didn't halt there. It then speeded right between Tyson's blade and the purple blade, taking the full blunt of the attack intended from his partner. Draciel stood its ground, pushing back while Dragoon shook free, allowing it to regain its balance.

"Alright, Dragoon! Help him out!" Tyson said.

Together, both blades pushed against the remaining blade and with one final hit, sent the purple blade from the Beystadium where it landed at its owner's feet with a soft click. As thought in cue to the sudden silence, at once the audience burst into cheer, having not expected a battle that almost defeated the Bladebreakers. It was effort seen and recognized and the public enjoyed it very much.

"And as expected, Tyson and Max once again manage to steal the victory!" A.J said.

After calling back their beyblades, Max and Tyson high-fived, complimenting each other on their tactics.

"Yo, thanks for the back-up, Max." Tyson said, allowing a relieved breath to get out. "I was almost a goner back there."

"No prob. I got your back." the cheery blonde teen said, slapping him on the back.

"Close call." Jade noted when they returned to the benches.

"Too close." Kenny said. He looked as though he was on the verge of panicking. "What the heck was that, Tyson?"

Off-handedly, the navy-haired blader shrugged. "No idea."

"Seemed to me you almost got your ass handed back to you out there." Kai said bluntly.

"Key word, almost." Max pointed out.

Their captain fixed his cold gaze on them, crossing his arms in front of him. "Shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"Jeez, Kai. Chill out, will you? We won that match and that's what counts, right?" Tyson said half-defensively.

Noticing the displeased glint in her boyfriend's eyes, Jade interrupted quickly. "I think what Kai means to say is you're world champions. Close calls are not an option."

Grumbling like little children, Tyson and Max grumbled a quick brief 'Fine' and 'we're sorry' under their breaths. But as usual Kai was right. As world champions, they were supposed to be at the top in the game. They were _not_ supposed to be narrowly beaten in a tournament that wasn't international.

"If you're done scolding them, guys." Ray said, rising to his feet. "I've got a match to win."

"Hey, Ray?"

He glanced at the only female member of the team. "Yeah?"

"Would you mind throwing in the match just this once?" Jade pleaded. As predicted, he rolled his eyes and her puppy look melted away, replaced by a smirk. "I was just kidding. Anyway, good luck, Jet Li Junior."

Cursing the nickname under his breath, Ray turned to head forward. His hand slipped into the pouch he kept at his side and pulled out Driger, gazing at it proudly. Thanks to Kenny, his beyblade was in even better condition than ever.

Jazzman had already begun the introductions for the next match. "Now we carry on into the singles match where we have Ray representing the Bladebreakers and from the Dynamitz, please welcome Yuta!"

Cocking his head to a side, Ray absently fixed his blade into his launcher and watched as the boy across him did the same. Yuta, if described in one word, would be considered unusual. He was a little too skinner for a kid his age with unruly dark red locks but when he looked up at the neko-jin, Ray was pleased to see fire burning in his blue eyes. Having seen his teammates, Ray knew better than to think that the kid was a push-over.

_I can handle him, _he thought as he raised his arms to shoulder height and tensed his grip on the ripcoil.

"Ready and 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!"

Ray's grey blade and his opponent's pale blue blade met in the middle, slashing and spinning into and away from each other. Sparks flew, proving the effort Yuta was putting into the match.

"Not bad, kid." Ray said, making the boy look over at him. "You got the passion for the game. I can safely say you might actually be at the top someday with enough effort."

The kid actually looked surprised to hear that. "R-really?"

"Yup." the neko-jin spared a glance at the two blades. Driger was holding its own well. "I look forward to battling you then. However, right now it'll take more than just passion to beat me."

Amazed, Yuta could only watch in shock as his blade suddenly flew past him. It landed just behind him, defeated. He didn't even see what happened. Across, Ray summoned back his blade and offered a kind smile at the rookie.

"Hey, kid, I meant what I said. You'll be a great blader someday. Just keep practicing and never give up, okay?"

Yuta knelt to retrieve his blade, holding it carefully. Then he looked at his opponent again and pride swelled in his chest as the thought of battling a world champion sank in. He smiled too. "Sure."

"AND RAY HAS WON THE SINGLES MATCH! AS A RESULT THE BLADEBREAKERS MOVE INTO THE FINALS AGAINST THE BLOCK B WINNERS! WE'LL BE BACK AFTER LUNCH!"

* * *

"Kai's right. That match was too close for comfort." Max was saying when Hilary walked into the room to congratulate them over their victory. 

Pausing at the door, the brunette girl took in the scene before her. Ray was changing the attack ring of his blade and Jade was leaning against a locker, head tilted as she half-listened to the blonde talking. Kai stood by a window, staring out. For once something Max was saying actually made Tyson seemed worried. Kenny was listening to what was said and at the same time, he was replaying the doubles match earlier on his laptop. Hilary quickly put two and two together.

"Why don't you guys just change partners?"

Tyson glanced at her in confusion. "What do you mean, Hilary?"

"You know, like instead of Max and Tyson all the time for the doubles match, why not let Ray and Max take the next round?" she suggested. "That way your opponents won't be able to predict their moves."

"It's not that easy to switch partners in the middle of a tournament." Tyson said.

"Why not? Ray should know most of Max's moves by now. They should be able to do fine." Hilary said. "Who knows, maybe even better than you."

Annoyance and anger flared from the boy and she met his glare with her own smug look. He knew she was right and he hated it. Intrigued by the idea, Kenny started entering data in his laptop and the result he found pleased him indeed.

"Hey, this could work!" he said excitedly.

Max blinked. "Are you serious?"

Even Ray looked curious by the possibility.

"Positive." Kenny told them. "According to my data, Max and Ray would make an excellent double team. The other team wouldn't have expected this. We'll have an advantage."

"Yeah...okay." Tyson said slowly. "But if Ray battles in the first match, who will take the second match? Who's gonna battle for the singles match?" _me, me, me. Please say me..._

"Jade will, of course." Kenny said a matter a fact.

"Finally, some action." Jade muttered while Tyson moaned hung his head in disappointment.

"I guess it could work." Ray said, agreeing to the idea.

Planting her hands on her hips, Hilary looked at the final member of the team who has yet to say anything. "Well, Kai? What do you think?"

He turned his head slightly and shrugged. "Sure. Whatever."

"Great." the Chief chirped, typing away. "I'll start running through some programs to see what tactics you guys can use."

Jade smiled in approval at Hilary. "Smart. That was some quick thinking there."

"It was nothing." the other girl said modestly.

Both girls looked back at Tyson who continued to pout and sulk like a child who just had his favorite toy taken away from him. Yes, Beyblading was fun but tormenting the boy was sheer delight.

"Will both teams please return to the benches for the start of the next match!" Jazzman announced.

"And we're back with the finals of the Nationals that will determine the Beyblading team that will represent Japan in the World Championships that will begin a month from now!" Brad said.

A.J cut in. "The winning team will experience a chance of a lifetime to explore the world and meet other bladers in a quest for the title of World Champions. This is of course unless the Bladebreakers is willing to yield their throne."

"ALRIGHT, PEOPLE! ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINAL MATCH?"

As the teams approached their benches, Jazzman was already performing an excellent task at warming up the audience, having all of them screaming and cheering by then.

"Fighting against the Bladebreakers today is Team Evolution in hopes of bringing down the world champions. And, not to spoil the fun, we have a surprise for you from the Bladebreakers. Instead of Tyson, Ray will be battling in his place alongside with Max!" Jazzman announced earning a cheer of approval from the audience.

Tyson wept bitter tears. "This is so unfair..."

Going through the final preparations with Kenny and Max, Ray lifted his head curiously and watched their opponents. A flicker of confusion crossed their faces and Ray knew that Hilary's plan was working. Their opponents were caught off-guard by the sudden switch and that threw off all their carefully constructed plans.

"Bladers, please step forward." Jazzman instructed.

After receiving a teary good luck from Tyson, Max and Ray moved forward. Their opponents, a boy and a girl, siblings no doubt did the same, already gripping their Beyblades in their hands. They both had the same lavender hair and blue eyes that suggested their shared blood although it was easy to tell that the girl was the younger one of the two.

"Ready to lose?" the boy sneered.

"Nope because we don't intend to lose." Max replied, grinning.

"Introducing Shun and Shinta Kusaki from Team Evolution who will be battling Max and Ray for a chance to represent Japan! Bladers, take your position!"

The four bladers held out their loaded launchers, arms tensed and eyes narrowed in determination.

"3, 2, 1! LET IT RIPPPPP!"

"Go, Driger!"

"Draciel!"

The siblings grunted as they launched their beyblades; Shun's pale blue and Shinta's pink. The blades landed in the dish and started circling each other. The brother-sister team made the first move, ordering their beyblades to attack Ray. To their surprise and frustration, Driger dodged, twisted and spinning out of the way with acute speed. When they moved in to attack him from both sides, Driger speeded away and instead their blades clashed together.

"Nice one, Ray!" Max said. "Alright! Now it's my turn! Draciel, Heavy Viper Wall!"

The green blade started circling the two beyblades in the center, slowly but gradually closing in on them, creating a wall of water that trapped them inside. The cyclone of water swept in, washing the two blades from the stadium.

"Wow! Talk about fast!" A.J yelled in excitement. "Unbelievable!"

"And the Bladebreakers take this match!" Jazzman declared, waving his arms about. "They are now one match away to maintaining their positions as Japan's team. Can Jade handle the pressure?"

"I'm up." Jade said as she stood.

Kai tilted his head slightly as he watched his girlfriend approach the Beystadium, passing the doubles pair as she did. A short exchange was made before she continued making her way to the dish. He knew he shouldn't worry but he did and it frustrated him to no ends. Jade was a good blader. She was cunning although sometime albeit reckless. She fought with a passion that rivaled Tyson's. Yet lately, her performance had reached a stagnant level where improvement seemed out of reach. It was as though she was distracted from making herself stronger.

_Her skills at this level should be enough to win the nationals but what about the world championships? Even having a Bitbeast at that level won't be enough._

A quiet growl escaped him. He hated worrying.

"Presenting Mitsugi Iwata from Team Evolution. He'll be battling the Bladebreakers' Jade Raven in hopes of defeating her to prevent elimination. Can he do it?" Brad pondered.

_The real question here is can he accept defeat graciously because I'm not about to lose to a rookie, _she thought as she witha soft smile on her face, gazed down at the blue beyblade in her hand. She tried to remember the last time she let her Bitbeast out in a battle. Oh, right. It was a few weeks back when she and Kai were training in the training room in the east wing of the mansion. They both got carried away and almost destroyed that entire wing in the midst of the battle. She grimaced at the memory. Bernard was not happy indeed.

A boy's harsh tone speaking shook her from her thoughts. "You're very wrong if you think I'm just gonna give up this match. I'm gonna take you down."

She merely raised an eyebrow at her opponent, a teenage boy about her age with spiked brown hair and green eyes. Cocky and proud. Just the way she likes her opponents to be. The loud ones were usually easy except Tyson of course.

"Fighters, at the ready!" Jazzman shouted.

Without bothering to retort, she twisted Draizer into place and lifted her launcher. Mitsugi did the same, holding up a black launcher that matched his equally black beyblade.

"And 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIPPPPPP!"

"And they're off!" Brad announced. "With only one match to go, the Bladebreakers just need this one to win!"

"I don't know, Brad. So far, throughout the entire tournament, that Mitsugi kid has proved himself definitely a tough guy to beat." A.J commented. "Whoa! And he moves in for the takedown!"

Sure enough, Mitsugi's black blade swept in clashing against the blue beyblade. Draizer slammed right back, refusing to loose ground.

"Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just because you're a girl." Mitsugi said, glaring fiercely at her.

"Please by all means..." she said politely. A smirk curled her lips. "...don't go easy on me. Because I certainly won't. Draizer!"

With a force that shocked the boy, Draizer pushed and his blade bounced back, faltering close to the edge. Behind him, Mitsugi could hear his teammates yelling at him to be careful and not to lose the match. This was their last shot at the world championships.

"I can do this!" he told himself, confidence assailing him. That was until he noticed the faint blue glow coming from the center of his opponent's blade and he knew he was in trouble.

Draizer started attacking, moving like a blur and striking out from left and right. His blade started to wobble, giving away to the assault. Then to wrap it up, the blue beyblade gave it one mighty shove sending it rocketing from the dish in a blink of an eye. It chattered to a stop near the feet of his teammates who were equally aghast by the lost.

Jazzman went nuts with joy and excitement. "And it's all over, folks! We have our winners and the team that will represent Japan in the World Championships. May I once again present to you...THE BLADEBREAKERS!"

Draizer performed one last victory lap before it obediently returned to its master's open palm. The crowd cheered as the rest of the team ran forward with the exception of Kai to congratulate her. Hilary and Grandpa Granger rushed down to greet them while the stadium was replaced by a stage for the prize-giving ceremony. Mr. Dickenson came forward to give them the trophy and as he made the official declaration that the Bladebreakers was Japan's team, the cameras and TV crew closed in, wanting to interview them.

And all over the world, other teams got down to preparing for the upcoming battle. China's representatives, the White Tigers picked up their training in the forest, spending more time mediating under the showers of the mighty waterfall. In America, the All Starz increased their training schedule and started a healthy diet under Judy's supervision based on collected data and information. The Majestics in Europe were gathered at Robert's castle, planning ahead to defeat their competitors. In the burning lands of the Sahara desert, the African team was seen sprinting alongside with cheetahs as part of their intense training.

And in Russia...

With a satisfied smile, Tala switched off the television that broadcasted live the battle from Japan and turned to his own team, all gathered in the living room and waiting expectantly for the outcome.

"It's set. They're in." he said, azure blue eyes clear with anticipation to face Kai's team. "Now's let get down to training. Move!"

As one with Tala and Bryan bringing up the rear, the team exited the room, ready to face the icy cold terrains of Russia as warm-up for their training. This time it was for real. No holding back. No regrets. Nothing like last year. This time no one was controlling them to their own whims and fancies. It was all them. And this time the new Blitzkreig team wasn't going to back down from fighting for the title of world champion.

* * *

A/n: **R&R!**


	6. To Win the War

A/n: Wow...has it already been 2 months since i last updated...? This is really started to get out of hand and grow into a bad habit. I blame college and assignments. So without further delay, I present you the next chappie...after I thank my reviews who are probably on the verge of strangling me for the late updates.

Thank you: blaznXrapture, MyStIc BlAcK PhOeNix, faith, MagykGurl, kaiROXmyWorld, brezzybrez, ILoveAnime89, Nekomata Demon Queen and Black Wolf Jaganshi Lover.

* * *

Chapter 5 - ...to win the war. 

In partial confusion, Tyson stared down at the stack of paper Kenny had dumped on this table. Drawn by curiosity, he began ruffling through the sheets and finally unsure what to make of it, he looked up at the beaming boy.

"Kenny, what is this?"

"It's the practice plans I made up for you based on your past battles. We start today." Kenny explained.

"Practice plans?" Tyson was flabbergasted as he went through the papers again. "Are you insane?"

"Of course not." Kenny said in an undignified manner. "This has all that you need in order to prepare for the championships. There is your dieting plan, your work-out plan –"

"Whoa! Time out!" Dragoon's master yelped in alarm. "Dieting plan? For goodness' sakes, Chief, I'm going for a Beyblading tournament not a beauty pageant. Besides, the championship is in one month. Plenty of time to train."

"I hardly think one month is enough time to train." Kenny pointed out. He glanced at the sheets. "Hm, later when we get back to your place, I'll need to run an analysis session to see if my data is correct."

"Ugh, all of the days, why can't my kendo club practice be today...?" Tyson groaned. He glanced out the window, debating whether he should throw himself out the window right now.

* * *

The bell rang, signaling the end of school for the day and Tyson was reluctantly dragged off by Kenny with the rest of the team tagging behind, watching in amusement as the boy whined and complained. 

"Oh, put a sock in it, Tyson." Hilary snapped. "I swear all you do is whine and whine and whine."

"Don't forget eat too, Hilary." Max piped in.

"Oh, yeah. And that too."

Ray chuckled at their antics and glanced at Kai who had on his 'I-couldn't-careless-about you' look. "Say, Kai, where's Jade?"

Wordlessly, the captain jabbed his thumb in direction of the school tennis courts. Ray followed his finger and saw the familiar figure on the courts. The rest of the team came to realize that too and they walked over to the fences that separated the courts from the outside, watching as Jade returned the tennis ball over to the other side.

She was proving herself quite an accomplished tennis player as it seemed. The rallying went on for a few more seconds before Jade ended it with a well-placed smash near the net. As her training opponent thanked her for the game, she noticed her team standing at the fences.

"What you guys doing here?"

"Jade, what the heck are you doing?" Kenny demanded. "We have blading practice now! Put down that racket and get over here."

She frowned, carelessly bouncing a tennis ball on the racket. "I have tennis practice now." she pointed out. "And you know what Miss Flutie said about participating in club activities."

"Of all the clubs, you had to join one that has practice on a separate day from the others clubs?" Tyson asked. "Why did I think of that?"

"Because you're incapable of doing that." Hilary offered sweetly.

"Hey!"

Ignoring the battering between them, Jade went back to thinking of a way to ease Kenny's mind. "Relax, Kenny. I'll drop by as soon as my tennis practice is over and Kai can give me extra training sessions on other days. How about that?"

"Well...I suppose it is okay. As long as Kai is in charge of making sure you get some training in daily." the short brunette said strictly.

"Don't worry." she said carelessly. Green eyes glanced up at crimson eyes and a smirk of knowing passed between the two.

"Good." Kenny said, oblivious to the shared look. "Now let's go."

Jade watched through the fences as Kenny continued in pulling Tyson away with Hilary and Max's help. Ray followed. Kai did not. He leaned against the fences, watching his team. They were a whacky bunch but in the end they were still his teammates and...his friends...

"Kenny's nice kid, huh?" she commented with a smile.

"Hn."

She went on. "Naïve but nice. Does he actually think you would care?"

He shrugged. "Like you said, naïve. But don't think I won't train you when you get home later."

"I'm all yours then." she grinned.

Knowing well her words held hidden meaning, he rolled his eyes and left after his team. Jade's gaze followed him, her heart beating faster at the thought of how much she loved him. They've been through so much together.

_...His love for you, child, will be his undoing..._

A shiver ran down her spine as the gypsy's words echoed in her head. No, she refused to accept those words. She will not let mere words control her future. Without realizing, her grip on her racket had tightened and she loosened it as someone called out to her for a tennis match. Ordering the echoes and nagging in the back of her mind to shut up, she readily accepted the challenge and moved to one end of the court.

Words were just words. They do not control the future.

* * *

"Go, Dragoon! Take him down!" 

"Driger, evade!" Ray commanded.

As ordered, Driger shivered to the right, narrowly avoiding the attack meant to finish him off. Dragoon zipped past Ray's blade and rode up the sloop of the Beystadium, loosing its attack momentum. That was when Driger struck. Taking advantage of the other blader's lost power, the tiger followed swiftly only to be knocked out of the dish when Dragoon dodged just as it had done earlier and snapped back with an attack. Driger flew from the dish and landed at its owner's feet, still spinning.

"Nice one, Tyson." Max said, watching the battle from his place on the stairs.

The team was training on the river banks. While the teens took turns to battle each other, Kenny sat at the foot of the steps, recording and analyzing each battle for flaws and weaknesses. Hilary stood near the stadium, playing the referee.

"That was pretty impressive." Ray commented as he bent down to pick up his blade. "I certainly didn't expect that last move."

"Aw, shucks." ever confident Tyson grinned. "You're just saying that."

"No, Tyson. Ray's right. Your speed has improved drastically. Now all we need to do is to work on your defense." Kenny said.

"You know what they say. The best defense is the best offense." Dizzi put in.

"Hey, that was my line." Max pouted as he stood up and started walking to the Beystadium.

"Kai, you're up against Max next." Kenny instructed.

Pulling out his blade and launcher, Kai approached the dish and faced Max. Both boys got ready, holding out their launchers. When Hilary started the countdown and told them to begun, the two beyblades flew into the dish and started attacking each other. The sounds of attack rings clashing rang in the air joined by Tyson's cheers.

"Don't let up, Draciel!" Max ordered.

The green beyblade held its ground, fighting for ground against Kai's Dranzer. Both blades pushed at each other, smoke rising from their spinning tips. In the end, Draciel won out when Dranzer pulled back to circle it.

"Sweet defense, Maxie!" Tyson said, equally excited.

But Kai wasn't done yet. He had studied his opponent's beyblade and his eyes watched the movements of Draciel while Dranzer spun around the dish, patiently waiting for his orders. "Dranzer! Move in now!"

Suddenly charged by the command, the blue blade slammed into Draciel with enough force to send the green blade rocking much to Max's surprise. Before Draciel could recover, Dranzer attacked again. As the battle grew more intense, Tyson and Hilary started to cheer them on.

"Are you getting this, Dizzi?" Kenny asked his laptop.

_Well, this battle is turning out to be more interesting than I expected,_ Ray thought as he smiled faintly and watched the battle. Then from the corner of his eye, he noticed something and he glanced at the bridge.

A girl stood there, watching them. Her face was shadowed by the sun setting in the horizon but Ray could make out her dark hair that reached her shoulders and a petite slender form that stood out more like a shadow. Next to her at her feet, stood a big dog. To Ray it looked more like one of those dogs that pulled sleds in winter countries except it was bigger than most he has seen in his travels around the world.

Then as if she realized her presence was noticed, the girl turned and left. The dog throttled after her obediently, leaving Ray puzzled. Then he shrugged. _Must be a fan. It's not odd for fans to come down and watch us practice. Like that time with that Zeo kid..._

"Alright! Kai!" Hilary suddenly cheered, diverting his attention back to the beybattle. "That was one cool move to wrap up that battle!"

Max was laughing in that carefree nature of his, picking up his beyblade at his feet. "That was one good battle, Kai."

It seems that the battle had ended in the slate-haired boy's favor. Ray wasn't at all surprised.

* * *

Detention. 

A word that seemed to associate itself very well with Jade. Kai had no idea how she did it but she had somehow ended up in detention yet again for the third time in one week. He was guessing she and the teacher in charge of detention will be getting along quite well at this rate if she kept this up for the rest of the year. The only other person who could get into as much trouble as she would be Tyson and usually Hilary would be the one decide his fate in such cases.

"Meow..."

Something rubbed against his feet, ajaring him from his musings and he looked down at the stray cat with soft smile. The animal stared up at him with wide yellow eyes, its tail flickering from left to right lazily. He reached down, scratching under its chin and was rewarded with a loud purr.

In a distance, from where he stood along the riverside where his team was training at a week ago, he could see the sun was setting, giving way to night fall. Enough training for one day. Jade would be waiting for him by now. Time to leave.

A sudden spinning sound caught his ear and he turned in time to step out of the way of a flying black beyblade aimed at his face. The blade swirled around the riverside bank, frightening the cat and sent it running while Kai glared up at the girl who stood at the top of the slope.

At first glance, she resembled Jade greatly due to the dark locks that cascaded past her shoulders in a wild manner but as he scrutinized her further, he saw that her eyes were coffee brown and she was slightly taller than his girlfriend. Her sense of fashion was definitely street-wise for she wore a pair of dark baggy pants and a simple black top that did nothing to disguise her curves. When she spoke, he recognized her slang as American.

"Funny. I never pegged you as an animal lover."

He shifted his weight slightly, preparing to fight should it come to it. "Who are you?"

"The name's Faith." she said, holding out a hand to catch the beyblade that flew back to her. "You and me, we have a personal score to settle."

Direct and straight to the point he noted. So far, she had him intrigued. She had taken him by surprise which was hard to do. Even Tyson's brother hadn't been able to do that. She held herself with a confidence that indicated she was well aware of who he was and his skills in battle. He decided to bait her, see what she was like. "I think I would remember if I had beaten you before."

"Oh, but here's the thing." her smile widened. One moment, she was there, the next she stood facing him on the riverbank. He didn't even see her move "You had never beaten me before because we never battled before."

Her words only puzzled him further. "Then why are you here now?"

"Same reason as every other blader you see everyday. I want to challenge you to beybattle."

"And if I refuse?"

"I would think you don't have much of a choice." she said calmly. She fixed her blade into her launcher and held it up. "So let's go for it already."

Intrigued by her level of skills, Kai nodded and held out his own loaded launcher. Simultaneously they released their beyblades at each other. In mid-air, the blades clashed and flew apart, landing before they went at each other again. Faith was proving herself to be quite the blader, certainly better than he had expected. Her concentration level was impressive for as the blades attacked each other non-stop, her eyes locked with his and she smirked, challenging him to a different battle altogether.

Neither looked away.

He held her gaze, willing her to break the lockdown first. In the background, he could hear Dranzer fighting viciously and Faith's black beyblade doing equal damage to his beyblade. Neither was letting up on their attacks. As he stared into her taunting brown eyes, a sensation crept into him. A feeling he was distinctively familiar with. It barely brushed the surface of his mind, threatening to break his mental barriers to overwhelm him in its hold.

Darkness...

_This feeling...I know this feeling..._

"Kai!"

Hearing Ray's voice broke him from his muddled thoughts. Kai focused once more on his opponent and was surprised when Faith snorted and called back her blade.

"This battle is over for now." she said before she took off, leaving nothing to suggest which direction she had gone in.

_She's fast..._, Kai thought as he knelt and picked up his spinning blade. He inspected it, carefully studying the thin cracks on the attack ring while Ray came up to him.

"Kai, what happened?" the Chinese boy asked in concern. "Who was that?"

"She said her name's Faith." Kai answered quietly. "And that she has a personal score to settle with me."

"That's odd because I think I've seen her before, Kai." Ray said, remembering. When the other boy gave him a puzzled look, he continued. "Last week when we were training here, I noticed that she was watching us. I thought then she was a fan or something but now...I guess not."

"No." silently Kai agreed, pocketing his blade. He would need to fix it up later. "Why are you here, Ray?"

Reminded, the neko-jin shrugged. "Jade sent me to look for you when you didn't come home. Good thing I did, huh?"

"Ray." the slate-haired boy then said in a serious tone. "Don't tell Jade about this."

"What? Why?"

"I don't want her to worry."

Catching the undercurrent tone of protectiveness in his captain's voice, Ray sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Alright but when she finds out, she won't be happy."

"_If _she finds out."

* * *

During practice the next day, Ray couldn't help but steal worried glances in Kai's direction. He wondered whether Kai had even bothered talking to Jade about what happened yesterday. He guessed he could understand Kai's concern for his girlfriend. Jade wasn't always known for her ability to think first before acting and the last thing they wanted was for Jade to go after the other girl. He himself wondered what Faith wanted. Kai mentioned that she had a personal score with him but when Ray pressed further for more information; the stoic teen had claimed that he does not even know the girl before yesterday. Ray sighed. He supposed he knew too little of his captain's background to ask more questions. 

"Hey, Ray. You're up next." Hilary informed him.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ray nodded and walked up to the Beystadium in the middle of Tyson's backyard, holding Driger in his hand.

"Say, where's Jade?" Max asked suddenly as he retrieved his Draciel from the obstacle course Kenny had sent up for them.

Everyone looked at Kai for the answer to that.

"Where do you think?" he retorted, leaning back against a pillar. "She has detention again."

They face-faulted and Kenny groaned, rubbing his temples.

"I have a headache..."

Tyson picked himself up and held out his launcher with a determined look in his eyes. "Forget about Jade. Let's battle! Come on, Ray!"

"Ready, guys and 3, 2, 1!" Hilary shouted. "Let it rip!"

Driger and Dragoon were launched into the dish. Already Ray was planning out his next moves, watching his blade circle the outer part of the dish. He watched Dragoon for a moment then his eyes narrowed.

"Driger! Move in!"

As his blade started to attack Tyson's blade, out of nowhere a third blade clashed in between them, forcing Driger from the dish. Ray caught his blade, wincing from the powerful impact it sent coursing through his palm and he quickly found the culprit.

"You!"

Smiling down at the Bladebreakers, Faith allowed herself to step off the wall surrounding Tyson's home and landed cat-likely within the compound. "Don't mind me. I was just passing by." she said in a mocking tone.

"Faith." Kai said, moving forward to face her.

Hilary was confused as she looked between the phoenix and the brown-eyed girl. "Kai, you know this girl?"

"Dude, how many girls do you know?" Tyson asked his captain, half-angry to have his battle interrupted.

"I don't know who the hell she is." Kai stated coldly, glaring stiffly at the intruder.

"Ah-ah, language, Kai." Faith teased, reprimanding him.

"Well, she seems like she knows you pretty well." Max put in.

"Quite on the contrary, kid." she said. "I know all of you pretty well considering we've never met before. Kai on the other hand, we go way back. Say as far as yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Tyson turned to his captain. "What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing that concerns you." Kai said. His crimson eyes were darkened with annoyance and anger. "Why are you here, Faith?"

"I'm afraid the reason I'm here concerns them, Hiwatari." she informed him. Shifting her eyes to Tyson, she grinned. "Come on then. Let's battle."

Tyson, never one to turn down a challenge, smirked confidently. "With pleasure. Go, Dragoon! Get her!"

On his command, his white blade rushed Faith's beyblade, smashing straight into it with a force intended for Ray's Driger. To his surprise, her blade withstood the attack, hitting back even. He grimaced when his blade slipped from its hold on the ground of the beydish and renewed his efforts. Apparently defeating her was gonna take more effort than he expected.

"Nice move, kid." Faith taunted.

"I'm not a kid!" he snapped back, dark eyes flashing angrily.

"Tyson, calm down." Kenny coaxed from the sidelines. "Getting angry won't help."

Faith took her eyes off her blade and her opponent and shot a knowingly look at the smaller boy. "And neither will looking up my background. Gotta warn ya. You're not gonna find anything in there about me."

Kenny gasped, proving her words while Ray frowned as they watched the battle. He glanced at Kai but the older teen was watching the battle in disguised interest as well. He wanted to see what Faith was capable off, Ray realized. He turned back to watch the match. This does not look good for Tyson or Dragoon.

_Who the hell is she, _Tyson wondered as he watched Dragoon take in her attacks to the best of its abilities. It looked like it could give in any minute now. He needed to do something and fast.

Without warning another beyblade interfered, just as Faith had done earlier. It slammed headlong into Faith's blade and pushed it away from Dragoon, allowing the white one to regain its balance.

"What the-?" Tyson gasped, staring at the very familiar beyblade that circled his blade in an attempt to shield it.

"Man, I never get to have any fun." growling in annoyance, Faith summoned back her blade and took off like she did the previous day while the Bladebreakers were still trying to come to terms with the figures that stood on the roof of the dojo. Finally their unison stunned voices broke the silence.

"You!"

* * *

A/n:  
An ice cream: $2.50.  
A car: $50K.  
The look on readers' faces at this point of the story: PRICELESS.  
Hehe... Gotta love cliffhanger.** Read & review! **


	7. Having Faith in Me

A/n: My exams have just come to an end so I am officially free for 2 months! Or at least until I find a job or something...As a mark of my freedom, I bring to you the next chapter of Wolves' Reign and the answer to the cliff hanger in the previous chapter.

Loads of thanks to my reviewers!!! Jojibear, ShangriLa Merffles, Nekomata Demon Queen, Brazilian Phoenix, blaznXrapture, gothicluver13, kaiROXmyWorld, faith, MagykGurl, brezzybrez, i see dead people..., SapphireSword, ruler of dragons, ILoveAnime89, FrEwTeSs

* * *

Chapter 6 – Having Faith in Me

"You!"

One elegant eyebrow rose in question as the only female in the group preened at her fingernails. "Well, I wasn't exactly expecting that sort of a greeting."

"We come all this way to save your butts and this is the thanks we get?" the youngest of the group huffed, shaking his head in disappointment. "I actually thought you Bladebreakers had more class than that."

Finally it was Hilary who blurted out the question that was on everybody's minds. "Saint Shields? What are you doing here?"

"We're here to help you of course. Duh." Dunga said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I think they get that part, moron." Mariam said.

"Who are you calling a moron!"

Ignoring his bickering teammates, Ozuma leapt off the roof and held his gloved hand out, calling back his beyblade from the dish. The black blade jumped back into his palm and he turned to the Bladebreakers who were staring at him in silent surprise.

Sighing, all he said was, "We need to talk."

Ten minutes later, they were all seated in the living room of Tyson's house, waiting for the leader of the Saint Shields to speak. The door to the veranda was open and the cool breeze of the wind drifted in, carrying with it the scene of nature. Somewhere up front, they could hear Grandpa Granger attending to his potted bonsai plants, humming as he did.

"So what brings you here this time?" Max asked.

Couple years ago, they had parted on good terms, Tyson promising that he will guard Dragoon with his life and Ozuma vowing they would return should they suspect the guardians of the sacred spirits ever becoming incompetent. He hoped that was not the reason they were here today.

"We came here to warn you about Faith. But as it seems you have already met her." Ozuma stated, indicating the battle that had taken place outside.

"Yeah. She challenged Kai to a battle yesterday." Ray said, ignoring the pointed glare the other boy gave him. "At first we thought it was just personal but when she took on Tyson just now..."

"It's not personal." Ozuma confirmed. "She's after your Bitbeasts."

"Big surprise." Hilary muttered.

"We don't know the full details but words in the wind has it that a war is brewing and not surprisingly, your sacred spirits are the key players to winning it." the blue-haired girl said.

"Faith's involved in this war?" Kenny squeaked, not liking the idea of his friends getting pulled into something that included bloodshed and death.

"As far as we could tell. She's after your Bitbeasts and that's all we know for certain." the short black-haired boy said. "Trust me. It won't be as easy as you think it defeat a person who has been train for that purpose alone."

"I'm sure you would know." Tyson said warily.

"All I'm saying is be careful." Ozuma said in finality.

"We won't always be around to back you up." Mariam added.

"Oh, don't worry about us." Tyson grinned, chuckling. "We can take care of ourselves. As long as we stick together."

Dunga frowned and made to count those in the room. "Say, wasn't there suppose to be one more of you on the team? A girl, right?"

"Wow, the big guy used his brain for once. What a break-through." Joseph said, easily dodging the punch meant for his head. "But where is this new member of yours?"

Almost as one, the Bladebreakers looked at each other and sighed, sweatdropping. "Detention."

* * *

It was well past seven by the time Kai returned to his mansion. Since it was situated way across town from Tyson's place, it usually took him fifteen minutes by car or half an hour to walk there. Although the Saint Shields strongly advised against it, he had chosen to walk. He left around six but he had taken a longer route, trailing past the park where the team usually trained on weekends. Maybe he needed to think and process the information they received about Faith. Or maybe he was just hoping she would appear again so that they could end their battle. But she did not. 

Needless to say by the time he stepped through the front door, he was not in a good mood.

"Well I trust your training today has been fruitful, Master Kai." Bernard enquired as he closed the door after the boy.

"Yeah." Kai muttered distractedly, already heading up the stairs. "Where's Jade?"

"West training room, sir." the butler called after him even as the teen disappeared up the stairs and into one of the long corridors. "Well, isn't someone in a foul mood today..." he murmured as he walked into the den.

Hand on the doorknob, Kai stopped outside the said room, wondering what he should tell her. Whatever that was going on did not include her and by his books, should remain that way. The Saint Shields said Faith was after the four sacred spirits that were under the protection of his team. Jade's Draizer was not included and if he had it his way, he would rather defeat Faith once and for all without his girlfriend ever having to know. Then again, this was the real world and in reality, he knew if she found out he had been withholding important things like this from her, she will certainly not be happy.

Hesitation only a moment, he sighed and started to open the door. The scene he came upon made him paused.

Jade stood in front of a Beystadium, eyes closed in calm concentration. Her hands were by her sides, curled into tight fists. Slow and easy breaths left her with each passing second. In the center of the dish was her beyblade, remaining perfectly still as it spun on its spin base.

Curious, Kai leaned against the door frame and watched. The slight shift in the air surrounding the spinning blade caught his eye and he inclined his head, wondering what caused that. Gradually, ripples of moving air radiated from the base of Draizer. A slight tendril of smoke rose from the center. The base of the dish, Kai noted, was actually glowing red. Faintly and pulsing. Like embers of a fire.

For some reason, her concentration broke then, the flare in the dish fading and the smoke quickly disappearing and Jade opened her eyes and swore under her breath. "Dammit..."

He decided to let his presence be known then. "New move?"

She looked up in surprise. "Kai, I didn't know you were there. When did you get back?"

"Just." he shrugged and bent to pick up her blade from the stadium. It felt heated against his skin but quickly cooled. "What was that?"

"Like you said, new move. I call it Ember Impulse." Jade explained. "It's an underground heat attack that requires heat to build up from within the beyblade and release it through the spinning point of the blade. However, containing the heat isn't as easy as I thought."

"Hn." he handed Draizer back to her. "Your beyblade can't contain the heat properly without the insides melting down. You might want to have Kenny take a look at it. Maybe he can modify it."

She nodded, taking his words into consideration. "You're right. So speaking of Kenny, how was he today? Did he freak when he found out that I got into detention again? What did I miss?"

Kai glanced aside, still wondering how was he gonna tell her. Finally he looked at her. "Not much. Some old friends of ours dropped by earlier. The Saint Shields."

"The Saint Shields? Don't tell me they're back for your Bitbeasts." she remarked in surprise. She was surprised to hear about their arrival in town but not worried. The Bladebreakers could handle themselves.

"No. They came here to warn us." he said. "There's a blader who is after the four sacred spirits. A girl actually. Her name's Faith." he turned away then and in doing so, missed the odd look that crossed his girlfriend's face.

"Faith? And how do you know that what they are telling you is true?" she asked as casually as possible.

"Because we me her before they turned up." he replied tightly. "She challenged Tyson to a battle."

"She did?" Jade tilted her head. "And lemme guess. He defeated her but just barely."

He shook his head. "Not even close. She was mopping the dish with him and Dragoon. Fortunately for Tyson, the Saint Shields turned up then."

"Lucky kid." she deadpanned, reaching for her water bottle. She popped the lid and took a sip of the drink. "What about this Faith girl? What happened to her?"

"She got away but something tells me she'll be back."

"Really?" she looked at him, noticing the dark look on his face and a tingle of worry stirred in her. "What makes you say that?"

Halting in his thought for a moment, Kai closed his eyes and said carefully. "Because she said she had a personal score to settle with me."

She stared at him and said slowly. "Okay. Somehow I don't see where that comes in."

"Neither do I."

"Maybe you defeated her before. Trashed her beyblade like you used to." she suggested.

"No. I think I would remember a blader like her." he said.

She frowned and eyed him skeptically. "You think you would remember a blader like her? What does that mean?"

Kai thought for a moment before he realized what his words must sound like to her. "You know what I mean." he said brusquely.

"Okay. Okay. I get what you mean." After a while she glanced up at him and asked almost nonchalantly. "So this Faith…what do you think about her?"

Crimson eyes glanced at her with a hint of amusement. "Are you jealous?"

"Me? Jealous?" she scoffed, putting a hand to her chest in mocked offence. "No! I'm not jealous. I'm just...curious. I mean when some unknown girl pops out of nowhere and threatens my friends, I deserve to know more about her." This time he eyed her with a look that said 'oh, sure…' and she crossed her arms in front of her and turned away, busying herself with her blade. "I think I prefer you when you were meaner."

He sighed, wondering why on earth she was making such a big fuss over someone she has never met before. Even after all they've been through, Jade Raven will always remain a mystery to him. Yes, he knew he has much to learn about her considering their backgrounds and much more to learn and experience if he was ever gonna understand the opposite sex. But must she make every lesson so difficult? "Jade, if it makes you feel better...Faith is nothing compared to you."

"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better." she muttered sarcastically but a soft smile traced her lips.

"Glad I could help." he said as he lowered a light kiss to her. When he pulled away, he added almost thoughtfully. "Although there was something vaguely familiar about her…"

Her eyes darkened again.

"There's this darkness surrounding her…it seems familiar…"

Jade stiffened visibly. "As in Black Dranzer familiar?"

"No…but something similar." he said. His eyes were glazed with thoughts and memories as he thought back to his past battles.

She watched him for a quiet moment, knowing how the dark phoenix was still a conflict to him. And to have something that resembles Black Dranzer so closely was…unsettling to them both. "Kai, don't let her get under your skin."

He didn't reply to that, the slight nod of his head the only indication he had heard her and simply left the room leaving her staring after him with a disturbed look on her face.

* * *

If there was one part of a day which she loved, that would be when the sun went down and the sky turned to dusk dotted with twinkling stars. And to her, the best place to enjoy the cool night breeze free of sound pollution would be on the flat roof of a tall building that overlooked the city. To top it off, all she needed was a hint of nicotine in the air and pumping through her lungs. 

She flicked her lighter, letting the sudden glow of the flame lilted her features and brought it to the stick in her mouth. Once the tip started to burn, she took a long drag of it and breathed out, watching the smoke disappear along with the breeze.

Then from where she sat perch on the edge of the roof, she heard the door open and close heavily. She glanced aside and raised an eyebrow at the shadowed figure that approached her.

"I thought I might find you here." the other said. "Heard you were in town."

"I see the news travels fast around here." she said offhandedly as she held the cigarette pack out. "Cigarette?"

"No thanks." Jade came up to lean against the edge next to Faith.

Faith chuckled, keeping away the pack. "Always the good girl. So how long has it been, J? Four years?"

"You're exaggerating. Try three years." Jade said.

"Really? Seemed longer." shrugging, Faith took another drag and exhaled. "Oh, right. You were in the world championship last year. "

Jade rolled her eyes at sidle remark. "Glad you watch the news."

"So what did your boyfriend think of my sudden appearance?"

"He's infatuated." she deadpanned sarcastically.

The other girl snorted. "I'll bet. You're one lucky girl, Jade. He's a real catch. Do you mind if I took him out for a roll in the haystack?"

"Kai's not that kind of guy and yes, I do mind." Jade said tensely. "Cut the crap, Faith. Why are you here? Did the elders send you or did you come here on some personal vendetta?"

"Both." Faith said, eyeing the burning tip of her cigarette. "The elders has detected early signs of a war rising and as the Saint Shields has already informed your team, the four Sacred Bitbeasts in their possession are the tide-turner in this war. If I don't recapture them, not only will the elders kill me but all will be lost for the world. How's that for a reason to be here?"

"The Bladebreakers are capable guardians of their Bitbeasts." Jade insisted. "I've seen them risk their lives for their Bitbeasts."

"You call that risking their lives?" Faith scoffed, clearly amused as she turned to regard the other fully. "At the rate they're going, I could easily have all their sacred spirits by the end of this week. I don't have time to play games. The bad guys are on the rise and things won't be as safe as they are once the world championships are here. During that time, their Bitbeasts will be up for grabs and even Tyson or Kai won't be able to protect their Dragoon and Dranzer then. The only way I can stop that from happening is to gain the spirits first."

"They are stronger than you think, Faith."

"Then prove it to me." Faith challenged, dark eyes flashing in defiance. Her dark long hair was untied, wild as the personality beneath the cool charade she portrayed now. She tossed aside the remains of her cigarette over the edge of the building, not watching as it was quickly blown away by the sudden gust of wind that caught it. "Show me that that team of yours isn't made up of a bunch of weaklings. Battle me right here, right now. No strings attached."

Jade stared at her, itching for that battle to happen. Long ago when they were once under the same teacher, they were equals in almost everything they did together. They sparred together. They battled together. Back then they were rivals and also the best of friends. Now... "No."

"No?" Faith repeated incredulously.

"You heard me. No. We were friends once and we're still friends now. I'll not battle against you as an enemy and a friend. You cannot be both to me." the green-eyed girl said softly. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Faith?"

For a long moment, Faith held her gaze not backing down until she read the determination in Jade's eyes. She nodded and shrugged. "I bet hanging out with those males have softened you up a bit there but fine. Have it your way. It doesn't matter to me whether we battle or not. My true target here is Kai."

At mention of her boyfriend's name, Jade tensed, anger flashing dangerously in her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists. "I'm warning you, Faith. Stay away from my team or else I'll—"

"My my. Testy aren't we?" Faith cut in, smirking tauntingly. She ran a free hand through her hair. "The worst is yet to come, girlfriend and believe me. You and your team ain't prepared for it."

Gritting her teeth, Jade could only watch as the other female silently exited the roof. Seconds passed turning into minutes of silence and she felt the churning of emotions within her subsiding into a pool of calm. A tired sigh blew from her lips and she closed her eyes.

_I didn't think it would come to this..._

Kept safely in her belt pouch, she could sense the faint glow of her Bitbeast, trying to ease her worries as it has done many times before. Only this time, her worry was no longer for herself. It was for her team and the one she loved. Faith's words rang in her head and they were nothing like Tala's hollow tone when he was under Biovolt's command. She was in this on her own free will.

Slowly she opened her eyes and gazed out at the city before her, illuminated by the colorful lights of the night life. Above in the sky, the darkness continued to remain an overcast of endless shadows. The moon was out, its full sphere of light barely lighting up the dark sky. Rain clouds closed in from a distance, carried forth by strong winds and at a slow and steady pace, it drifted across the path of the moon rays, blocking out the only natural source of light, throwing the roof she stood on into darkness. Darkness she felt herself entangling in to, unable to escape.

* * *

A/n: A short one i know but I think to end the chapter here would be just nice. Don't worry. The next one will be longer. R&R! 


	8. Goodbye, My Friends

A/n: Um? Hi? -ducks under sharp objects thrown- okay! okay! I know it's been ages since I last updated. Well, university just started up so the assignments are pilling in. Moving on!

Special thanks to my reviewers who are forced to wait in complete agony due to my lack of inspiration:  
kaiROXmyWorld, ShadowWolfDagger, ShangriLa Merffles, brezzybrez, FrEwTeSs, gothicluver13, NDQ, faith, SapphireSword and ruler of dragons.

This chapter is dedicated to you guys.  
R&R!

* * *

Chapter 7 – Goodbye, My Friends. 

'_...The worst is yet to come, girlfriend and believe me. You and your team ain't prepared for it...'_

It has been a week since her unsuccessful confrontation with Faith and yet the words of warning still rang in her head like the subtle but irritating echoes in a cave. They simply just refused to leave her mind, struck in the corner of her brain and she couldn't deny the fact that it has been affecting her daily life as well for the past one week. Even Tyson had noticed how anti-social she had become, riveting back to her old self, before she had met them and usually he was the oblivious one in the team. If he noticed that meant Max, Kenny and Ray would have noticed and if they noticed, it would be safe to conclude that Kai noticed as well. It didn't help that they were living under the same roof.

Come to think about it, he had been giving her odd concern looks now and then. She wondered if he thought she was worried about that Saint Shields' warnings and this mysterious blader which she _supposedly_ never met before. The thought made her feel worst. She knew she should tell him about her connections with the other dark-haired girl but a forgotten part of her was passive, held back the memory of her past, her distrust back then and most importantly, her friendship to Faith.

Her head hurts...

Sighing distractedly, she stared out the window of the classroom. Her text book was laid out on her desk, untouched since the lesson started while the teacher upfront droned on and on about something regarding the mathematic scribbling on the blackboard. Most of the other students, Max, Ray, Kenny and Hilary included, were copying down the notes and important solutions. Tyson on the other hand was snoring softly in his sleep, hidden by the upright position of his textbook. Now and then, he would mumble something related to food under his breath and continued to doze in peace. She never thought she would say this but she envied him.

Not a care in the world. Just an ordinary boy with an extraordinary career at a young age who lives with his crazy and hippy grandfather because his father and older brother are away on an expedition tour.

Lucky kid.

Something soft – a crumpled piece of paper- hit her head then, making her whip around to find the culprit. Kai looked at her meaningfully. At first she didn't understand what he meant but when Miss Kincaid called her name again, she did.

"Jade?"

Her eyes lifted to the woman to see her looking at her quizzically in expectation. "Um, yeah?"

"Could you please tell us the answer to this question?" the teacher asked kindly. She pointed at the board indicating the said question.

For a long moment that seemed like an hour, Jade stared at the funny senseless numbers and diagrams on the blackboard. She racked her brain, hoping to at least have subconsciously caught something that could help her. Finally all she could say was..."Um...The answer to that is..."

She heard a distinctive cough from her boyfriend that sounded mocking and she shot a sharp glare at him to warn him off but instead, she caught a brief glimpse of the number '7' written clearly on an empty page of his notebook.

"The answer to that is 7." she blunted out quickly, glancing back at the teacher.

Miss Kincaid smiled and nodded, writing down the answer on the board. "Very good, Jade. Now moving on..."

Breathing out in relief, she mouthed a thank you to Kai and returned with her musings, much to the displeasure of the slate-haired boy. As soon as the teacher found another unwilling victim, Jade's eyes were turned to gaze outside with clouded thoughts.

From where he sat across her in that particular class, Kai could watch out for her and right now he could see her mind was far away. He wondered what thoughts could disturb her so until she withdrawn into herself.

_Maybe telling her about Ozuma's warning and Faith was a huge mistake..., _he thought.

Maybe it was but right now all he could do was to make sure his girlfriend kept out of trouble and help her focus on her training until the matter regarding Faith blows over. With that to ease his mind, the phoenix turned his attention back to the teacher who has discovered a sleeping Tyson thanks to Hilary.

"Miss Kincaid, Tyson's sleeping in class again!"

"Tyson, I thought I told you no sleeping in classes!"

"Huh? What? What's going on...? Oh, great! Thanks a lot, Hilary!"

* * *

Hilary telling on Tyson being the only interesting thing to happen in class, the rest of the lesson resumed at its slow leisurely pace and by the time the bell rang, half the class was asleep, Max and Ray included now. After giving them their homework and dismissing them, Miss Kincaid sat down at her desk rubbing her forehead. She looked up to watch the students file out and in doing so, noticing the raven-haired girl to be among one of the last to leave after her team. 

"Jade, may I have a word with you?"

The girl blinked in surprise and told her team to go ahead of her. The teacher couldn't help but hide the tiny smile that dawned upon her expression when Kai gave the girl an assuring squeeze of her hand before he left. Once they were gone, Jade closed the door and approached the teacher with a cautious look. "Yes, Miss Kincaid?"

"Jade, has something been bothering you lately? You seem distracted in class." the woman asked gently. "Is there something on your mind that you would like to tell me? Maybe I can help."

Jade bit her lower lip to keep herself from snorting to that and snapping back rudely. It was bad enough her team was wondering what was wrong with her, now her teacher was curious as well? "I'm fine, Miss Kincaid. Really."

"You don't seem fine at all. Your other teachers have been telling me that your grades are dropping and you haven't been paying attention in their classes. It's obvious that something has been troubling you." Miss Kincaid said. Her brown eyes were warm with concern as she gazed up at the teenager. "Jade, as your teacher I'm partially responsible for your education. It's my job to make sure that you achieve the best of your abilities. Either that or Miss Flutie will fire me on the spot...but anyway! As an adult, I'm sincerely concern about your well-being. I know it's not easy balancing your school life with your blading life. But if Tyson can do it, you should be able to as well."

Great. Comparing her to Tyson. How bad can this get? Jade sighed. "I swear to you, Miss Kincaid. I'm okay. If there was anything I thought you should know, I would tell you but there isn't. I'm fine. Just a little...tired. That's all."

Perhaps realizing how she wasn't going to get anything out of her student, Miss Kincaid sighed, leaning back in her chair and nodded. "Okay. If that's the way you see it. But I should remind you, Jade, if your grades don't improve soon, you won't be allowed to participate in the world championships this year."

I know." she muttered wearily, mind and thoughts wondering how she was going to spill the secret to her team and face Faith at the same time. _Maybe I shouldn't take part at all..._

_

* * *

_Training proceeded after school as usual under Kai's insistence. He watched the battle between Max and Tyson from where he sat on the verandah of Tyson's dojo and half-heartedly listened to Kenny and Dizzi's comments on their progress. Hilary was egging Max on much to Tyson's annoyance. Ray meanwhile just finished his five laps around the neighborhood and jogged up to him, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand and picked up the water bottle sitting the next to the Russian. Studying Kai, he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about what Ozuma and the Saint Shields said." the neko-jin said in exasperation.

Without peeling his eyes away from the younger two bladers, Kai snorted. "Hn. I'm not."

"Then what is on your mind, dude? You're usually not like this." Ray said. "Usually you would be yelling at Tyson by now."

Kai rolled his eyes and raised his voice at Dragoon's master. "Tyson, pick up the pace! You're slacking!"

"I get it, Kai! Don't tell me what to do!" came the annoyed reply.

"Happy now?" disinterested, the stoic captain closed his eyes, hoping the other blader would leave him alone now.

"Not really." Ray drawled, tilting the water bottle in his direction. "Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

Sighing in frustration, Kai cracked open an eye then the other to glare at the other boy. "You can be really irritating if you want to be, you know."

"As long as it gets you to open up." Ray grinned back pleasantly.

"Whatever."

Wiping away the sweat and perspiration from his workout with a towel, Ray sat down next to him without being invited. "Is it about Faith?" he pondered aloud.

"Since when was mind reading part of your neko-jin abilities?" Kai sneered, frowning at the Chinese blader.

His grin widened. "So you are thinking about Faith. My, what will your girlfriend think? And speaking of Jade, you have told her about Faith, right?"

"Yes."

"How did she take it?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Ray."

"Hey!" Ray feigned insulted. "Knock it off with the cat puns. Just because I'm a neko-jin doesn't mean I'm a cat literally."

Kai smirked and chuckled softly at the image in his mind. All Ray needs now is a tail and two pointy ears above his head. The thought that followed was of Tyson yanking on his tail and Max trying to pat him. Interesting thoughts indeed.

"I certainly hope that I'm not interrupting anything, boys."

The six teens stiffened when they heard that familiar singsong voice and all eyes flew to the top of the wall surrounding the dojo where Faith couched, watching on in amusement.

"Faith!" Tyson shouted, summoning back his blade. "What do you want now? Back for seconds?"

The girl tossed her hair and coolly leapt down from her perch, walking up to the Beystadium. "Actually I'm here for that rematch with your captain over there." she indicated with a nod of her head.

"Kai?" Kenny squeaked, turning to the slate-haired teen as he stood up.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hilary asked in concern.

"I don't have a choice." Kai said. "Besides, she's starting to get on my nerves."

Faith grinned. "Glad you see it my way."

Gritting his teeth, Tyson started to interfere, intending to demand the girl for a rematch but unexpectedly another voice spoke up before him. "Hold it!" Max cut in suddenly, stepping in Kai's path to face the girl. "If you want to battle Kai, you'll have to battle me first."

Tyson started to speak up again but Ray beat him to the punch. He joined in, moving forward with his Driger and launcher in hand. "Then me."

"You guys..." Tyson whined in despair.

"All the boys wanna dance with me." Faith sighed coyly. "Fine. Tell you what. I'll take on you both at the same time."

Ray frowned, his upper lip curling back to reveal the tip of a fang. "Are you sure you want to take that chance? Because I think you won't stand a chance against the both of us."

"Talk is cheap, boys." Faith said, pulling out her black beyblade and launcher. She slipped in the ripcoil and snapped the blade into the launcher. "What's the matter then? Too chicken to face little 'ol me?"

"You wish." Max countered. He held out his readied Draciel.

Ray did the same. Faith laughed under her breath and held out her launcher. Then on a silent count between them, the three bladers launched their beyblades into the dish. Almost immediately, Ray and Max moved in for the attack. Circling the black blade in opposite directions, they took turns attacking it. All the while, Faith watched the match with a tiny smirk on her face.

"Wow. Max and Ray are doing some real work out there." Hilary commented. She stood next to Kenny, looking over his shoulder at his laptop.

"Their teamwork has improved. They should be able to beat her in a jiffy." Tyson said confidently.

"Not quite." Kenny said hesitantly.

"What do you mean, Chief?" Hilary asked.

"It's not as easy as it seems, guys." the boy tried to explain. "The techniques Max and Ray are using as meant for a doubles opponent. Faith is just one person and most of their attacks barely have any effect on her. Look!"

They did, in time to see Faith's blade dodge between the two blades, causing them to clash into each other. The black blade then circled them forcing them together while it closed into them with terrifying speed.

"Oh, crap! She's all over us!" Max gasped.

Whenever one of them tried to move, her blade was there, knocking it back against the other. With every accidental hit against each other, the boys could sense their beyblades weakening and it was only a matter of time before they lose enough power to attack or defend themselves and that was when Faith will attack. They had to do something and fast!

"Guys, call out your Bitbeasts!" Hilary yelled.

"We can't." Ray hissed through clenched teeth. "That's what she would want us to do."

"Well, you have to do something!" Tyson shouted.

"Working on it." Max gritted back.

All the while, the smile on their opponent's face remained, only growing wider with the knowledge that victory was on her side. Her only surprise was that Jade obviously hasn't told her teammates about their past together. But she, despite the bold bash manner she displayed, respected the other girl's privacy. Besides, the less the Bladebreakers knew of her, the better advantage she had over them.

_Game over, _she thought with a feral grin.

Just as she was about to give out the final command that would seal the match, a blue beyblade smashed into hers, driving it away from the trapped two. At first, she thought it was Kai's, intending to finally step in to face her himself. But when the blue blade shoved Draciel and Driger back to its masters and then hers back to her, Faith corrected her assumption, turning around with an expectant smile to the clear voice that spoke up then.

"This battle is over for now, Faith." Jade snarled as she stalked up to the beydish. Her body was tight with restrained anger and her green eyes were narrowed like a predator's, focused on the other girl.

"Jade? You know Faith?" Kenny asked with obvious shock in his voice as he gapped at their female member.

Preening at her nails, Faith grinned wickedly at the fuming girl. "Looks like somebody has been keeping secrets from her teammates."

Hearing this, Tyson turned to Jade. "Is this true? You two know each other? Look at me, Jade!"

Jade could sense the shock and surprise looks on her friends' faces and somehow, feel the hurt reflected from Kai. Her own heart ached at the thought she had betrayed his trust again. Yet she managed to ignore the navy-haired boy's demands and continued to glare at Faith. "I warned you about coming near my team."

"And I heard you the first time, girlfriend." the other girl said. "But then again, I have never been much of a listener. You know that, right? Anyway, at the rate I keep getting interrupted in my battles, I'll never get a real battle out of you losers. I'll be taking part in the world championships. Where the Saint Shields or anyone else won't be able to save your butts. We'll battle then and end what we started."

"Say what?" Tyson gasped. "You're taking part in the world championships too?"

"Are you deaf?" she sneered at him. "Or just dumb? Or how about both?"

"Hey!" he snapped defensively.

Kai cut in to keep the younger boy from lunging at her. He had no doubt that Tyson wouldn't be able to reach the girl first anyway without her moving from her spot. He knew how fast she was on her feet. "We'll meet then and finish what _you_ started." his crimson eyes narrowed accusingly at her.

"I can't wait." Faith said sarcastically and winked an eye at Jade. "I told you he was a real catch, J."

Jade did not even crack a smile as her eyes met brown ones, mentally telling her that it was best that she left right now before she did something she would regret later. Faith nodded briefly in her direction and in one graceful move, vaulted over to the other side of the wall. Once she was gone, Jade allowed herself to release the breath she had been unconsciously holding in. As she knelt to pick up her blade, she willed her body to relax, closing her eyes in surrender to exhaustion and oddly enough... relief. It was out then. Maybe not in the way she would have wanted it but a least now, it was out and she waited for the questions she knew that was to come.

To her surprise, Tyson was the first to speak and his words were not what she expected coming from him. "I think we need to go inside and sit down. Jade, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know." she muttered, looking from her beyblade to the team for the first time. Max and Ray followed Tyson into his house while Kenny turned off his laptop and tucked it under his arm. Hilary was looking at her with a mixture of confusion and sympathy. Her heart clenched painfully when Kai did not even glance her way. She deserved this, she told herself. She had betrayed their trust not once but twice. _I deserve this..._

The uncomfortable silence surrounding the teens remained once they had settled within the living room. Each were not sure how or where to begin. Ironically, this room had been where she first told them of her involvement with Kai's past, with Biovolt. Back then, they had forgiven her just as they had forgiven Kai, understanding her situation better than she had expected from a bunch of immature teenagers. Right now, she wasn't even sure she wanted their forgiveness.

Standing by the sliding windows, Jade gazed at them, studying their expressions. Max and Hilary were waiting patiently. Kenny was fidgeting uneasily next to them. Ray had his arms crossed in front of him, staring at the vase on the coffee table as though it was the cause of all their problems. And Kai...he stood across the room from her, his expression closed as he waited.

"So..." Hilary broke the silence uncertainly, subconsciously leaning forward. "Um, you knew Faith. How?"

"Faith and I..." Jade said carefully. "We used to run in the same group back then. A year after I escaped from the abbey, I was taken in by a man. An old master from Malaysia. He was part of a secret training camp that took in unwanted abused children into the village and trained them into warriors trained in both the art of Beyblading and fighting. That was where I met Faith."

"Was it like the abbey?" Max asked curiously.

"No. It wasn't. It was very different. While all the Biovolt abbey taught us were that we were nothing but instruments of war, this man soiled wisdom and belief within his students. He showed them they had a purpose in the world. Faith was one of his students." she explained briefly. There was more to her tale, a more complicated background she didn't feel the need to derive in to right now only because she didn't know as much as she thought she did.

"Then what was all that talk about her coming after our Bitbeasts?" Ray asked. "Is this secret group part of the war the Saint Shields mentioned?"

She sighed, lifting her shoulders and letting them fall. "Truthfully, I have no idea, guys. I was only there for two years. Back then I was still on the run from Boris so I couldn't really care much for this sort of things. I would be next to clueless if I didn't know that what Faith's saying is true."

Tyson sat up straighter. "But Ozuma said –"

"What Ozuma told you was probably only one side of the story, Tyson." she said. "From what I'm guessing, there's more to this 'war' than what we know. That's why..."

"Whatever it's, I'm sure we can handle it." Tyson broke in confidently, puffing up his chest. "I mean we dealt with the Saint Shields before and not to mention Biovolt twice. As long as we stick together as a team throughout the whole championships—"

"..I'm leaving the team."

"—we will be able to pull through and defeat Faith and whatever whacko team she is in and while we're at it; we'll win the championships again. Simple as- what?" her words finally catching up with him, Tyson stared at her in shock. "You're what?"

"Jade, you can't!" Kenny gasped.

"Why? On what purpose!" Hilary demanded.

Shifting uneasily under the shocked expressions of her friends, Jade closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. She had expected this reaction from her team. That was part of the reason why she didn't want to tell them about Faith in the first place. "I'm going to Malaysia. I want to find out Faith's side of the story and that means I won't be around for the first few rounds of the tournament. I think it's best if you guys just carry on without me."

"Come on, Jade. Stop kidding around here." Max said, desperate for her to tell them that what she was saying wasn't real. "This isn't funny."

"I wish I were joking, Maxie." she said softly. "But some things just have to be done."

"This leaves us without a reserve for the tournament." Ray said. "How can we compete if one of us gets hurt? Who will replace us if that happens?"

She smiled sadly as she nodded her head. "Kenny will."

Kenny started badly when his name was mentioned. "I will?"

"Yes, Kenny. You will." she assured him. "You are the only one I know who has experience in this sort of things and you're the only one I trust."

"B-but I don't have a Bitbeast! And I've only been in a world tournament once and that was ages ago!" Kenny paled considerably, looking as though he was going to pass out. "I don't think I will even stand a chance out there!"

"Get a grip on yourself, Chief!" Hilary snapped, shaking the boy soundly. "Jade is right. You competed in the championships two years ago on the champion team. You can do it again! Come on, man! Get a backbone!"

The Chief was trying to keep his teeth from falling out of his mouth with each shook she gave him as he sputtered out. "H-h-Hilary, I really d-don't th-think that this is s-uch a g-g-good idea!"

"Come on. Most of the time you will be the reserve only!" the girl rolled her eyes.

"M-Most o-of the tim-e?" he stuttered in terror.

Fortunately, Jade stepped in before Hilary ended up shaking his brains out through his ears. Although the girl had stopped jerking him around at Jade's order, Kenny was still very shaken at the prospect. He wasn't sure if he had what it takes to back up the team. Especially out in the battlefield of the Beystadium.

"Jade, I really don't know if I—"

She didn't let him finish that sentence. "Kenny, if that sentence ends with '-have what it takes' or '-can do it', I will personally kick your ass." she warned him with a slight smirk. Then her eyes softened. "Besides...I believe in you."

"I do too." Hilary piped in. "You can do it, Kenny. Right, guys?"

"Yeah, sure." Tyson said not convinced, still seething from Jade's announcement. "Look, Jade. We have no problem having Kenny as your replacement. But think about it. Do you really want to ditch the team just so you could fly all the way to Malaysia just to see if Faith is lying or not?"

"I'm not ditching the team, Tyson." Jade said in exasperation. "Believe me. If I had a choice, I would love to be there with you guys."

"Then be there." Ray said, his golden eyes looking at her intensely.

"But I can't." she said. Her voice had grown weary, her mind exhausted of the resistance they were putting up. This wasn't going as smoothly as she had hope. And what exactly was she hoping for them to say? _Please, by all means, Jade, go to Malaysia. Take your time and find out what you can. Don't worry about us. We'll be able to handle ourselves in the tournament. Have fun!_

Talk about wishful thinking.

With a pang, she realized that Kai hasn't even uttered a single word since they entered the living room. She sighed. "Guys, I'm afraid even if you managed to change my mind somehow...I have already sent in my resignation letter to the BBA. There's no going back. I have to do this."

For a second that stretched into minutes, silence cloaked the room as each teen allowed the finality of her words to sink in. Jade was leaving the team...for good. Who knows for how long?

"Wow..." Max muttered softly, staring into a distance. "It's gonna feel weird without you, Jade."

"You'll deal, Maxie." she told the blonde boy fondly. "After all, it takes a weirdo to know weird."

"Hey..." he said, not sounding at all insulted. He grinned weakly. "We'll be thinking about you."

"When are you leaving?" Tyson asked. He did not want to know. He did not. But he knew he had to. Knowing would make her departure easier.

"Tomorrow, first thing in the morning." she answered.

"You really have this all planned out, don't you?" he said, his voice spiteful.

She could understand his feelings, understand the betrayal he felt. "Yeah, I did."

Hilary stood up, walking up to her to hug her. "I'll miss you. You have no idea what it's like being the only girl in the team."

"Actually I do." Jade said over her shoulder. "Hey, keep Tyson out of trouble for me."

"Will do." Hilary assured her.

They pulled back and Jade turned to Max who also hugged her goodbye and Ray who shook her hand, a simple gesture that meant much to them both. To Kenny, she ruffled his hair, telling him not to loose his cool in battle. Tyson took a bit of coaxing and light taunting before he gave in and hugged her briefly. As they pulled apart, there were tears that have yet to spill in his eyes.

"Hey, we'll always be friends, right...?" he said.

"Tyson, I'm only going away for a few months." she reminded him. "I'll be back and I'll be cheering you on throughout the whole tournament."

He held out his hand and she grasped it, shaking it firmly. A tiny smile broke across his grim features and he looked like the goofy boy she knew and loved. And finally...Kai...

But when she turned to face him, all that was left in his place was, well, an empty spot. They turned to the sound of an opening door in time to catch a glimpse of the ends of his scarf trailing out the door after its owner before the door closed with a firm slam. The Bladebreakers stared at the door in confusion and those who knew the situation better than others, sadness. Jade was one of those.

Ray came up to her side, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He needs time."

"We all do." she said quietly. In her head, words of prediction, words from a month and several weeks ago, sounded in the surface of her mind. Taunting her, letting her know she had been warned.

_Faith will find you soon..._

And she has. Faith has found them, going after the very people she cared about, threatening the boy she loved. The fortune-teller had advised her to keep her mind open if she wanted to overcome. What if what Faith said was right? What if there really was a war about to happen and she was trying to prevent it by sealing away the important keys to winning it? The sacred Bitbeasts in the possessions of the Bladebreakers. Kai's Dranzer.

_His love for you, child, will be his undoing..._

These words she understood now. She knew what she had to do. Everything the gypsy said had struck a core in her and now she knew for certain. That it wasn't the lying words of a con-woman. It was the hard cold truth.

* * *

Finding herself standing at the door to the master bedroom that was his and hers, she gazed tiredly at the neatly-made king-sized bed, noting absently that the room was empty just like the other rooms and areas of the mansion. She checked their bedroom last, not wanting to confront him so soon but now that she knew he was not here, she wished that that moment would come so that she could just get it over and done with. She was tired of having to explain herself. Tired of having to bare the burden alone. 

The moment her body laid across the bed, her eyelids drooped, cutting off from her sight the evening rays of sunlight that flooded through the floor-to-ceiling window that led to the balcony. Her hand reached over to his side of the bed, clutching at the fluffy pillow as she rolled on her side to cuddle the pillow. _His_ pillow. She breathed in his scent, remembering how perfect it had been when they woke up that very morning with his arms wrapped around her protectively. It had been bliss, perfect.

_Oh, Kai...I never meant you or the others to find out this way..._

Wrapped in the imaginary security of his warmth and love, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax and sleep to overcome her. Her breathing soon grew steady, rising with a slow but certain fall only to rise again. The sunrays basked her with its orange and red light, giving the image of a bird of fire that stood over her, watching her protectively as Kai have done many times while she slept peacefully in his arms. Then in the ideal warm setting of this scene, a stray tear slipped from beneath a closed eyelid, following a trail that seemed familiar to it. The single flaw to this perfect picture.

_A time will come when it's either you or him..._

The numbers of the digital alarm clock on the table blinked once. 11.59p.m. Outside, gone was the sun and the clear white clouds. In its place, the softer rays of the moon danced into the room, replacing the warm picture with that of one that is cool and dark. Now instead of a phoenix, another animal seemed to lie in its place by the bedside, head between its paws and tail curled to its belly. Its yellow eyes were fixed on the sleeping girl, its mistress and friend. It only knew that she was hurting inside and that it had to be there for her.

Then as the numbers of the clock glared bright green in the dark as it switched to 12.00 am, the ears of the creature perked in the alert. Taking an attentive test of the air, it quickly determined that the person outside the door was no treat. With a low snort and a wave of its tail, the wolf faded into thin air just as the door to the bedroom opened silently and Kai stepped in.

His eyes, accustomed to the dark and aided by the moonlight, quickly fell upon the girl curled up on their bed and remembering her words earlier, they darkened. He lowered his head, letting his bangs shadow his eyes and stepped into the patch of light that spilled in from the window. His gaze shifted to the full moon outside, a frown on his face.

As though sensing the change in the air of the room, he could hear her stirring on the bed. Moments later, her uncertain voice broke the silence.

"Kai?" she whispered, staring at the boy.

He turned to her, arms crossed in front of him as he regarded her coldly. She studied him, the way his body was rigid with tension and the way his crimson eyes seem to penetrate her, seeing into her soul, probing for the truth and a lie. She opened her mouth to say something. What, she had no idea but something to break this unbearable space of growing silence.

He beat her to it. "Do you think doing this is a wise move to make?" he asked, his voice a void of emotions.

"Yes."

"Why?"

She closed her eyes, wincing inwardly as her heart contracted painfully with the flood of emotions that poured through her. "Because everything she said is true. Weeks ago, at that carnival, a gypsy woman told me that Faith will find me soon and she did. Faith did find me and she's after you and the others. I have to find out why. That's why I have to do this."

"A gypsy woman?" he repeated hollowly. He glanced aside, thinking for a moment before he glanced back at her and met her gaze steadily. "Was there more? Did she say anything else?"

_If you love him, you must be the first to take the step..._

"...yes..."

"What else did she tell you?"

_The first to make the ultimate sacrifice._

"Kai..."

_I have to do this. I have to be the first..._

It took all of her will power to say the words she had to say and even as she said them in a hoarse, broken voice, there were tears in her eyes. "I love you. Believe me. I love you more than anything else in the world. I would give my life for you in a heartbeat if I had to and...I know you would do the same for me. That's why I have to do this...I don't think we should be together anymore."

His eyes softened as the pain in her voice sank in. Somehow he knew she didn't want to do this but she still was. For him. "Jade..."

"You deserve more, Kai. You deserve someone who can be by your side at all times. You should be with someone who can take you into the light, someone who is normal." she said softly. She turned her head aside, covering her grief-sickened eyes with the shadows of her hair. "I can't be that someone, Kai. I can't be with you as long as my past keeps coming back like this. At least not now or tomorrow."

"I don't want someone normal. I want you. I love you, Jade...for who you are. " he said softly, reaching out to her as he had done so long ago. Back then he had succeeded in breaking past the walls that shield her heart and soul from others, showing her that they were both capable of loving another. He didn't want to lose her like this. Not when there was so much they have yet to discover about each other. But seeing the tears streaking down her pale skin, hearing her tortured words, knowing that she was doing this for his sake, he knew. Nothing he said or did now mattered. "And if you ask me, I think what you're saying is bullshit."

She flinched visibly as if he had physically slapped her but she didn't say anything for she felt she should understand his feelings. She deserved this. She wasn't strong enough to have trust in what they shared. She was weak and he should be angry at her. Expecting harsh hurting words to follow, she mentally prepared herself and was surprised by his next words.

"But if that's what you want, I accept your decision. For now." the bluenette said quietly.

She looked up to gaze at him and saw the resignation on his face. She didn't understand him at all. Kai Hiwatari will always prove himself to be an enigma even to her. "Thank you." she muttered softly.

They stared at each other for a long time, her with gratitude and sorrow at their lost love and him with momentary defeat and a silent determination. Finally he nodded curtly and turned to leave.

"I'll leave you alone for now. To let you pack."

"Kai, stay with me...please?"

He looked back at her sitting on the bed, remembering a time she had invited him just as openly into her arms. That had been the mark of a beginning. Now...

Sensing his hesitation, she added quietly. "For old time sake?"

Now it was the mark of an end. But he obliged anyway, moving steadily to climb onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her as he had done a year ago. She cupped his hands over hers, tracing unseen traces across his skin, sighing in contentment as she leaned into him, resting her head under his chin.

His lips touched her forehead lightly as he breathed against her skin. "I'll be waiting for you when you return."

She smiled softly although sadly. "You'll be waiting a long time."

* * *

A/n: See? I promised it would be a longer chapter! Read and review!! 


	9. First Steps

A/N: I am not dead! I am still alive despite popular belief. And I am back with another chapter and an apology for the long wait.Now a big thanks to my readers who have bared so much with yours truely.

Thanks to Faith, gothicluver13, DancerInTheDark101, brezzybrez, ShadowWolfDagger, or-chan, kaiROXmyWorld and Noaku-The-Fire-Angel.

Love you guys! Now on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 8 – First Steps 

Tired eyes blinked wearily against the sunrays of the rising sun. An arm came across to shield his vision that has yet to adjust from the sudden amount of light that assaulted him the first thing in the morning. A soft groan sounded in the room and he realized with a sigh that it had come from him. Then remembering what had happened yesterday, he sat up, his eyes focusing quickly and darting to his side. Empty.

She was gone.

Just like that. Just like before.

_Gone…_

Absently his gaze wandered the room that was theirs. Everything she owned, everything she had with her before she joined them was gone, making it seem as though she had never existed to begin with. As though she had never been a part of his life. As if that everything they shared was merely a dream and nothing more. But Kai knew better. He still had his memories of her even if he didn't have his past and to him, that was enough. For now.

"_I'll be waiting for you when you return." _

"_You'll be waiting a long time."_

_But I'll wait, _he thought, clenching a fist. _For you, I'll wait. Even if it takes me a lifetime._

It was hard imagining a life without her. They did almost everything together. She was always there when he woke up in the morning. Always there at breakfast, making some sarcastic comment about just about anything she could find and complaining about school. Always with him when they went to school. Always waiting for him once the day was over. Always in his arms when they went to bed together.

It has been so long since he remembered what it was like to be a loner. To do everything alone with no one to look out for but himself. Even walking to Tyson's home alone felt strange as though he was missing a part of him. Finding the team already gathered and waiting for him was odd. Seeing them standing in the compound warming up for a day of serious training. Knowing that she wasn't going to be with them for the days to come.

Her choice. She was gone and nothing will change that. This was it then.

Kenny was typing away at his laptop but when Kai approached, he looked up and closed his laptop. Max and Tyson were helping each other do sit-ups while Hilary counted and timed them. Ray was sitting cross-legged on the verandah, arms crossed in front of him and eyes closed in thought. The younger two paused in mid-motion to watch him, noticing for a fact that Jade was indeed gone. The brunette girl looked a little sad but a look of determination soon replaced her sadness. The neko-jinn opened his golden eyes and he tilted his head to regard the phoenix.

"So…" Ray said quietly. "She's really gone then."

Kai nodded.

The team was silence as the final realization that Jade had left them sank in, hitting home. Hilary sighed and looking around, noticed the chest-fallen looks on their faces.

She gritted her teeth and stood up abruptly, drawing their distracted attention to her. "What are you waiting for then? You should be training! As I recall, Jade did not leave a bunch of slackers. Come on. To work then! We still have a championship to win!"

Her determined voice broke them from their stupor and they slowly started to realize that even if Jade wasn't with them, they were still the world champions and now they had more at stake, they had more reason to win.

"You're right, Hilary!" Tyson said, standing up beside her. "Come on, guys! Let's win this one for Jade!"

Kai looked at his team, his friends looking back at him expectantly and a tiny smile found its way to his lips. This was it then. They were back to where they started. Just them. The original Bladebreakers.

* * *

Time twirled onward, waiting for no man or team as the Bladebreakers prepared hard for the tournament. Five weeks had come and gone since Jade left the team and during those five weeks, the team only strived on harder. As Hilary had suggested during the Nationals, they worked on different doubles pairing, at first pitting Max and Ray against Tyson and Kai. The end result had been not so nice. While Max and Ray were able to work on a leveled playing field, Tyson always forgot the whole point of the battle in attempt to show off in front of Kai and in the end, the captain always had to teach him a lesson by knocking his Dragoon out of the dish. After that one particular incident, Kenny decided that a Tyson-Kai team for doubles was proven scientifically impossible. 

Kenny, for one, has improved vitally as well. Training with the rest of the team had helped him buildup his physical condition, increasing his stamina and concentration. Maybe in a one on one with the others, he was still considered weaker than them but he has proved himself to be a good doubles partner as he was the type to think up strategies and ideas on the spot.

"Alright!" he announced the day they boarded the private plane that will fly them to one of the many countries that were hosting the world championships, Brazil. Their plane was to land in the capital city of Brasilia. "From what I gathered, I'm proud to say that we're in perfect form for this tournament."

Hilary couldn't help but snort. "Hah! Definite perfect form in terms of Tyson. Speaking of which, Tyson, stop stuffing your face! We just took off! It's not good for your indigestion!" she yelled, leaning over the side of her seat to glare at the boy sitting behind her with Max.

"Come on, Hilary." Tyson pleaded. "I didn't get any breakfast at all—"

"And whose fault is that?" she retorted.

"It wasn't my fault grandpa decided to have a good luck party until midnight. It also wasn't my fault there so happen to be a karaoke machine sitting next to the television!"

"Who overdid the alcohol last night and woke up with a hangover?"

"Not me."

Max patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Actually, you were pretty wasted last night, man."

"Your singing was bad enough to wake up the entire neighborhood." Ray put in, recalling the boy burst into song, singing 'We're the Champions' from the top of his lungs with a drunken vigor they have never knew he had. The neko-jin still cringed at the thought. From now on, it was safe to say they would be keeping all alcoholic drinks away from Tyson.

"I'll vouch for that." Kenny agreed.

"Come on, guys." Tyson said, pouting. "I wasn't that bad. I was half-drunk. Wait until you hear my actual voice now then you might—"

"NO!" his four friends yelled.

"I'm not that bad, guys!"

"Tell that to the people you deafened."

"Quiet."

They fell silent and glanced over to the back. Kai turned his attention to the passing view of clear blue sky outside the window, ignoring the perplexed, concerned stares they gave him.

"What's his problem?" Tyson muttered.

"Give him a break." Max said. "He probably has a lot on his mind right now."

"Maybe he's just worried about the tournament." Hilary suggested.

Tyson snickered. "Kai worried? Over a tournament we're sure to win? Yeah, right."

_Somehow…_, Ray thought, carefully watching his captain and friend from the corner of his eye. _I doubt that's the case. Kai…what's going on in your head?_

The rest of the flight passed with the usual antics of the team. Tyson pigging out. Hilary scolding him. Max and Ray playing a game of cards. Kenny rechecking his information and the profile of other teams they've known. Kai did his best to ignore them but by the time the plane landed in Brasilia in the later part of the evening, he was in a foul mood. Grumpier than usual.

Equipped with their 'Kai-mood' detector, the rest of the Bladebreakers were carefully to maintain their distance from their leader on the way to their hotel which was near the stadium where the tournament was to be held the following the day. Exhausted and suffering from jet-lag, they tugged into their penthouse and found Mr. Dickenson waiting for them.

"Hello, boys and girl. Have a seat." the old man said pleasantly. "I trust you had a good flight?"

"Some of us did." Tyson muttered crankily as he sat down on the long velvet sofa.

"I'm sure you must be tired so I'll make this fast." Mr. Dickenson continued. "The tournament begins tomorrow in four different countries, Brazil being one of them. As you have heard, it will be held in a best out of three with one doubles and two singles matches. Now there'll be four blocks in which you'll be in block C. Each block will have four teams from various countries and to keep it fair, we'll be holding the preliminaries in round-robin. Only the top two teams for each block will advance into the quarterfinals where the elimination method will be used onwards."

Hilary half-raised a hand. "Does that mean we are allowed only one lost for the preliminary rounds?"

"Come on, Hilary." Tyson chortled. "We're the world champions. We can win this without dropping a match."

"Nonetheless, Tyson, I can assure you that the competition will not be so easy this time." Mr. Dickenson said. "From what I heard, the European team has emerged victorious in their regional tournament."

"The Majestics?!" Max was surprised.

"They'll be representing Europe in this championships." the chairman confirmed.

"Sweet." Tyson said. "I'm so stoked! I can't wait to take on Robert again."

"What other teams are in our block, Mr. D?" Ray asked, curious to know whether they'll be facing the White Tigers anytime sooner.

"Ah." Mr. Dickenson grinned. "You'll have to find that out tomorrow. Oh, well. It's late. You kids need your beauty sleep for the tournament tomorrow and I won't keep you up any longer. Goodnight and sleep well."

Hilary closed the door after the chairman once he had exited and turned to the boys, crossing her arms in front of her. "Alright. Since there's only two single bedded rooms and since I'm the only girl here, I call for the first room. You guys go flip a coin or do whatever it is you boys do to decide who gets the last room. Goodnight."

As she headed into her self-declared bedroom, Tyson shared a look with Max and shouted abruptly. "I CALL FOR—" the door to that room slammed shut after Kai, drowning out his announcement. "—the last single bedded room…Or I could be unnaturally generous tonight and let my naturally grouchy captain have it."

"Let it go, man." Ray advised. "Kai…is not himself lately. He needs his space."

"Besides we get to share a room, man. How cool is that?" Max said cheerily.

"Guys, I don't think that is such a good idea…" Kenny put in meekly.

But Tyson wasn't listening to the both of them. "What are you talking about, Ray?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Tyson, Kai has been keeping to himself more than often since Jade quit the team." Ray told him, closing his eyes in thought. "I think it'll be for the best of the team if we leave him alone for a while."

"But what about the tournament tomorrow?" Max asked.

Amber eyes opened. "He'll be alright then. If I know Kai, he won't let us down but right now, I want you guys to just leave him alone."

Moving his gaze to the closed door of the phoenix's room, Tyson nodded. "Fine but as his friend and teammate, I refuse to leave him alone for too long. Only God knows what goes on in that head of his."

Ray smiled wearily at the boy. "I would not have expected less from you, Tyson."

"Damn straight."

* * *

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen! Beyblade fans all over the world! Today's the day! The day we have been waiting for!" Brad announced lived on television as the camera zoomed in on the green stadium in the center of Brasilia. 

"That's right, folks! It's the start of the World Championships! Taking place in four different but equally beautiful countries, the preliminary rounds begins today. The teams of Block A will be competing in Russia. Block B will be battling it out in Ireland. Block C will be in Brazil and the participating teams of Black D will be in China." A.J joined in, enthusiastic as ever.

"Only eight teams will move into the quarterfinals so I can safely say there'll be more than one heck of a battle about to take place today!" his partner concluded.

The teams have arrived extra early on the first day of the tournament. Gathered in their respective waiting rooms, they waited for their managers and captains to return with the battle order. Anxious and pumped, Tyson paced the floor.

"Oh, calm down, Tyson." Hilary told him. "Walking up and down won't help you one bit."

"Yeah. That's usually Kenny's job." Max said.

The door opened then and Kenny walked in with his laptop. "Guys, I have good news and bad news."

"Spill." Hilary ordered.

"Jeez, calm down, Hilary." Tyson mimicked as he rolled his eyes at her.

Kenny placed his laptop on the table and motioned for all of them to gather about. With swift fingers, he brought up a tree chart on the screen and stood back to let his friends lean in to have a look.

"The good news is Tala's team is in Block A, the All Starz are in Block B and the White Tigers is in Block D. Odds are we'll be meeting the White Tigers in the semi-finals and either the Blitzkreig team or the All Starz in the finals ." the Chief explained.

"Sweet." Max exclaimed. "I can't wait to see mom again."

"I can't wait to go up against Tala again. This time, I want to battle him in the finals." Tyson announced.

"_If _you get into the finals." Hilary reminded him.

"What about the bad news?" Ray pressed before they could start arguing again. "How bad is it?"

"Very bad." Kenny said. "The Majestics are in the same block as us."

"Robert and his team are in the same block as us? That means we will be facing of against them sooner or later! Cool!" Tyson said excitedly, pumping his fist in the air. "I can't wait!"

"It won't be that easy." Kenny protested.

"What about Faith?" Kai asked, speaking up for the first time since they left the hotel. His cold eyes were focused intently on the screen, trying to determine which one was his opponent's team.

"Well…" the shorter boy began uncertainly. "She didn't exactly mention which team she was in but Jade did say they trained together in Malaysia so I'm guessing she's representing that country."

They all stared at the name he pointed at with the cursor under one of the teams under the Block B line up.

"The Silver Wolves." Max read aloud.

"Looks like she'll have to get pass your mom's team and Tala's team before she can get to us." Tyson said. "I mean, the All Starz are tough and the Blitzkreig Boys are tougher. There's no way she can get to the finals."

"Don't be so cocky, Tyson." Hilary said heatedly. "You should be worry more about yourselves right now. You still have to face the Majestics, don't you?"

Tyson waved away her concerns. "Don't worry, Hilary. It'll be a snap."

"So what's the game plan, dude?" Max asked.

"We'll be up against the Brazil team first. Max and Tyson will take the doubles match and Ray will battle in the second match." Kenny said quickly even as an announcement was made for the teams to gather at their respective stadiums. "Alright?"

Tyson held his hand forward with his blade in it. "This is it, guys. We have a championship title to defend here."

"And our Bitbeasts." Max added in as he placed his hand over Tyson's.

Hilary and Kenny placed their hands forward as well then Ray followed, cupping his Driger over his friends' hands. Finally they looked up as Kai stepped forward and placed his Dranzer over his teammates' gathered hands.

Tyson grinned. "Alright! Let's win this!"

* * *

"Welcome, Beyblade fans of all race, age and sizes. We're here today in sizzling Brazil to witness the Block C preliminary round where we have our ever own world champion team competing to defend their title, the Bladebreakers!" Jazzman shouted, waving his arm over to the left corner of the stadium ring where the Bladebreakers emerged from the hallway and into the bright lights of the spotlight and the excited roar of the audience. 

"What's up, people!?" Tyson hollered, waving his hands in the air. "I'm back!"

"Coming five years in the sport and still making a fool of himself." Hilary muttered under her breath from where she sat in the audience.

"And their opponents for today, the one of the hosting team for this tournament, may I present to you…the Brazilian team, Hy-Brazil!"

The spotlight hit the benches across the Bladebreakers. Five figures stepped into view, revealing a team made up of three dark-skinned boys and two tan girls with braids in their hairs.

"That's a...um...interesting name." Max commented.

"I think it's based on a myth that once said that Brazil was a mystical island with fabulous cities covered in gold. A writer, Donald Johnson, dedicated one whole chapter of his book to the mysterious Hy-Brazil." Kenny explained all-knowingly.

Tyson stared at him skeptically. "You really do deserve the title of Chief."

"First up we have Tyson and Max versus Jamal and Nicole! Will the participants please step forward?" Jazzman shouted into the microphone. They obeyed, stepping up onto the platforms that stood apart, separated by a flat stage before them. "Now can we have the stadium?!"

The stage in the middle slidded apart as a beystadium emerged from beneath. The bladers stared in awe as the highest point of the dish rose high above their heads in the form of a temple peak in the center of a forest.

"Whoa..." was all Max and Tyson could say at the moment.

"Equipped with its very own miniature forest, the bladers will have to battle it out in this temple dish!" A.J explained excitedly. "One thing's for sure, it won't be easy."

"Where's the fun in easy?" Brad retorted.

"Bladers, ready!" Jazzman shouted into his microphone. "And 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIPPPPP!!!!"

Beyblades were launched simultaneously into the nature-covered bowl with a unison determine shout from all four bladers.

"And the world championships are officially underway!" both commentators declared.

"Ready, Tyson?" Max asked, grinning faintly.

Tyson grinned back. "I was born ready. Let's do this! Dragoon, go!"

"Draciel, go!" his blonde partner shouted as well.

As they watched, their blades infiltrated the forest, swiftly seeking out their opponents. The bits of the blades started to glow, drawing upon the power of the sacred spirits within and adding to the speed and power of the green and white beyblades. They make their way steadily to the center where they quickly met the other two blades. The impact made when they clashed was so powerful until the trees surrounding the blades were uprooted and were thrown out of the dish and along with several, two beyblades followed.

Startled by how quickly it ended, their owners stared in complete shock.

"And it's over! Tyson and Max have won their match of this tournament, giving the Bladebreakers the lead!" Jazzman shouted.

"That was a world record battle, A.J!" Brad said in awe.

His partner agreed. "According to my stopwatch, it was over in a minute. Talk about fast."

"Next up we have Ray fighting Loreto for the first win." Jazzman announced. "Bladers, please come forward!"

"Hey, Chief, do any of these guys have Bitbeasts?" Ray asked as he rose.

"Two of them do but I'm not certain which one." Kenny said. "Be careful, Ray."

"Don't worry about me, Chief." the neko-jin assured him with a wave just as Max and Tyson returned.

They wished him good luck and he thanked them before he headed out and stepped up onto the platform. His opponent, a tan boy with curly brown hair and narrowed brown eyes stepped up as well. At his complete height, he toweled over Ray by a full head but the latter was not intimidated. In fact he was eager to start.

Jazzman's voice rang out. "Beybladers, ready! 3, 2, 1! LET ITTTT RIPPPPP!!!!"

"Go, Driger!" Ray shouted, launching his blade.

"Attack now, Boiaçu!" Loreto followed, summoning his green blade immediately into the offense.

Ray couldn't help but notice the faint but familiar glow of a Bitbeasts coming from the center of his opponent's blade. _So he does have a Bitbeast. Well then, the more the merrier. _"Driger!"

At his command, the blade speeded up, taking the chase to the center where the temple stood, untouched by the previous battle. A trail of uprooted, slashed trees was left in its wake, a testimonial to its swiftness and strength.

Loreto was unfazed by the display of raw power his opponent. Snapping forward an arm, he shouted out a command to his blade. "Boiaçu, Spiral Wave!"

Following the movements of his glowing blade, a tide wave of water rose up over the white beyblade heading straight for it. The curled top of the wave started to fall, casting the entire dish with its shadow. And all the while, Driger was heading straight for it like a surfer intending on riding a tsunami wave regardless of the danger. Then without warning, it vanished from beneath the falling wall of water. Stunned, Loreto would only watch as his attack quickly demolished the entire forest dish but not his opponent. Safe above from the powerful waters, Driger spun at the peak of the temple which somehow withstood the heavy attack miraculously.

"Nice try." Ray grinned, the tips of his fangs showing. "But you're too slow compared to my Driger. Now, Driger! Tiger Claw!"

In a burst of light, the white tiger Bitbeast emerged from its bit, a deafening roar escaping it. Its claws were out, its lean back arched into a crouching position as its predatory eyes quickly found its prey. In one powerful leap, Driger's mighty legs muscles propelled it towards its distorted target. Claws flashed and it was over.

Boiaçu was tossed out of the dish, landing in a shred heap at its owner's feet. Loreto gingerly picked up his blade and his eyes widened at the sight of the vicious slashes that totaled the attack ring, rendering it useless.

"And with that, folks, ends the first beybattle of the world championships and as expected, the Bladebreakers claims first victory!" Jazzman declared, his voice quickly overwhelmed by the cheers of the crowd.

Pleased with his blade's performance, Ray summoned back his blade and strolled back to his team who ran forward to congratulate him.

"Great job there, Ray!" Max said, a bright smile on his face.

Tyson slapped his shoulder playfully. "You totally nailed him."

"That's one victory for our team." Kenny said, adjusting his glasses. "We just need to win tomorrow's battle against Egypt's team and we are in the quarterfinals for sure."

"Oh, Kenny. Always thinking small." Tyson mocked, slinging a heavy arm over his shorter friend, nearly stumbling him. "You should be more like me. I say we can take this championship without loosing a match along the way! What do you say, guys?"

"Yeah!" Max said enthusiastically. "All the way, buddy!"

Ray merely shook his head at them, not wanting to diminish their victorious moment by reminding them the Majestics were tough opponents. Glancing at Kai, he noted that the phoenix obviously felt the same.

Robert and his team maybe a group of overly eccentric high class nobles but their blading skills were world class and without doubt, legendary. Had the Bladebreakers not experience trouble defeating them when they first started out? In fact, it was Robert himself who had taught them to battle with their Bitbeasts in the first place. Without their help, the Bladebreakers would probably have not defeated Biovolt in their first championships. Lessons learnt and used in real battle have aided them time and time again.

However, there comes a time where every student must face their teacher in a dual to measure up how much they have learnt and as such…the lesson ends when the student becomes the master.

* * *

A/n: The last time was taken from Electra. Awesome movie despite the lack of storyline. Read and review ya! 


	10. Unexpected

A/n: Okay, people. As depressing as the reviews were for my last chapter, I really couldn't be bother because I am rather sick at the moment and it's only by a miracle that this chapter came about. Praise be God. I just hope that you like it.

It'll be quite a challenge for me to write without an OC. Yes, Jade won't be in this chapter or the next few chapters for that matter. So enjoy the OC-free (with the exception of Faith and her team) chapters.

Special thanks and gratitude to my loyal reviewers: ShadowWolfDagger, or-chan, brezzybrez and faith.

* * *

Chapter 9 – Unexpected

The second day of the world championships started off very much like the first. Fans that were willing to pay flocked to the stadium in Brazil to watch the reigning world champions take on the team from Egypt, the Pharaohs. With a miffed snort, Johnny couldn't help but notice the crowd that came was twice as much as the fans who came to watch the Majestics on both of their matches in the preliminary round so far. In the first round the previous day, the Majestics had defeated the Bladebreaker's current adversary in record time, ending their misery by instantly calling out their Bitbeasts and an hour ago, they had taken down the Hy-Brazil team within that one hour of the match, giving the Scottish enough time to make his way over to one of the many arenas were the tournament was held to witness the Bladebreaker's first victory for today. He was surprised to see Kenny battling by Tyson's side instead of Max and even more surprised when the kid actually proved himself quite the blader, using his blade as a distraction while Tyson swiftly ended the match with his Dragoon.

"Not bad at all." he mused to himself, alone since his teammates have retired to their hotel rooms having considered the hot climate unbearable.

Listening to Jazzman introduce the bladers that were battling for the singles match, he ceased his weight off his left feet as he leaned forward onto the railing behind the spectator stands. He folded his arms in front of him in plain interest as the neko-jin and a dark-skinned female took the stage. Robert had been against letting him come here to 'spy' on their future opponents but Johnny would hardly call it 'spying'. He preferred the term 'checking out' his adversary particularly a certain slate-haired teen who had been his rival years ago.

_Hang on a minute here…_

Eyes narrowed, he counted the members on the Bladebreakers and decided that his eyes were not deceiving him at all. Compared to last year, the Bladebreakers were one member short and that member was Jade. The dark-haired girl was nowhere to be seen within the arena and he wondered why she wasn't present alongside with the team. It was odd indeed. Last he heard from Tyson, Kai and Jade were living together and like any happy couple, bickering on constant basis. But of course that had been two months ago and since then both teams had been busy training their butts off for the tournament.

_By the looks of it, Kai couldn't hold onto her, _the thought making Johnny grin. _Maybe she finally came to her senses and realized that he wasn't right for her. Tough luck, man. _

Nonetheless, Jade or no Jade, the Bladebreakers were as strong as ever. Ray, using his speed that was his specialty, made quick work of his opponent and in less than two minutes, the match was over and the Bladebreakers move on undefeated.

_For now. The Majestics will soon rectify that situation and they won't even know what hit them. _

The thoughts that ran through his mind were soon interrupted by the vibration and ring of his handphone barely noticeable over the crowd's sudden roar when Ray ended the match. With a growl under his breath, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen was blinked in blue light, the caller's name clear. He flipped it open and pressed it to his ear.

"What's it, Robert?" he demanded.

He could vaguely make out his captain's voice but not what he was saying so he pressed a finger to his other ear in hopes of blocking out the noise from his surroundings. No such luck. The only improvement he managed to achieve was now he was able to make out the words Robert was saying. And that was just guessing.

"Say that again, Robert."

"As much as I disapprove of your unethical behavior -" here, Johnny rolled his eyes. "- may I enquire the outcome of the battle?"

"Robert. Robert." Johnny chastised, shaking his head in sadistic amusement. "What little faith you have in Tyson and his team. Surely it would be a shock if they were to lose to a bunch of rookies."

"I do not have time to play with your mind games, McGregor." the German blader warned.

Shifting his weight impatiently, Johnny grunted. "Of course they won. As it turns out, that Kenny kid is quite the fighter. He and Tyson make a reasonably impressive double team but I don't think he'll pose much of a trouble to us in tomorrow's match."

The other end was silent for a moment and he could almost imagine Robert rubbing his chin in thought. After a few seconds, the Majestics' captain spoke up.

"What about their singles blader?"

"Compared to last time, Ray has improved a lot. He could be a bit of a problem." Johnny admitted, turning his eyes back to the team as they walked away from the benches.

"That's odd of you, Johnny to admit that." Robert commented.

"Hey, I'm a maturing man." the Scottish said smugly.

He heard Robert chuckle on the other end. "Maturing, I believe so but other than that, I assume you jest, Johnny."

"Hey…" Johnny growled.

"Your offended ego is the least of my troubles right now, Johnny. I expect to meet you back at the hotel by lunch. We have a lot of training to do." Robert said formally before he hung on.

"Oh, man..." the heir of the McGregor family groaned, sounding more like an unhappy little boy denied his toys instead of the 'maturing man' he claimed to be.

He snapped his phone shut and pocketed it and along with the flow of the crowd that was just leaving, he left the arena and made his way to his waiting limo.

* * *

"WELCOME BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TO THE THIRD DAY OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WE TAKE OFF WITH AN EXCITING START WITH THE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS!"

Readily agreeing with his partner, A.J joined in. "Both the Majestics and the Bladebreakers have made it without loosing a match. Can they keep up their winning streak? Over to you, Jazzman!"

Standing in the center of the arena, Jazzman waved his hand at the audience while his other held the microphone close to his mouth. "ARE YOU READY, BEYBLADE FANS OF ALL AGES? LET ME HEAR YOU CHEER FOR OUR COMPETITORS FOR TODAY!"

The crowd did just that, roaring and applauding for the teams regardless of who they supported.

"Now may I introduce to you on my left, the Majestics consisting of team captain; Robert, Johnny, Enrique and Oliver!" Jazzman shouted.

The European team stepped forward with Robert in the lead. The European fans cheered, waving banners over their heads and screaming out the names of all four bladers. Standing at the rear of the team was Enrique blowing flying kisses at the female fans in the crowd. The screams in particular grew louder.

"For goodness' sakes, Enrique, behave yourself." Robert chastised, shooting him a glare.

"Aw, come on, Robert. Chill out." the Italian boy replied nonchalantly.

"I will not chill out. I'm here to win a match, not flirt." the captain retorted stiffly.

Johnny and Oliver snickered as Enrique continued to attend to his fans with a playful wink here and a flying kiss there, driving Robert crazy with embarrassment.

"And on my right, the reigning world champions…The Bladebreakers!" Jazzman hollered.

Tyson and Max was the first to step into the spotlight followed by Ray, then Kenny who was turning pale and last but not least Kai. The captain looked bored when he entered the arena but upon spotting the smirk on Johnny's face, his eyes narrowed slightly and his body stiffened a little with tension. Despite the years that have gone by between them since their last battle, he still found the Scottish blader a thorn in his side. Especially every time he tried to make the move on _…Jade…_

Instinctively he pushed aside the memories of her, forcing his self to concentrate. His life with Jade seemed like a lifetime away, seeming so far and unreachable. It was over. And he had moved on.

Hadn't he?

Jazzman announcing the bladers of the first match ajar him from his thoughts and he glanced up to see Max and Tyson approaching the emerging Beystadium while on the other side, Enrique and Oliver were doing the same, their beyblades in their hands. So far, everything was going just as Kenny had predicted. Based on the Majestics' previous battles, Johnny and Robert were by far the stronger bladers individually and among the four of them, Oliver and Enrique had the best understanding of each other. It was only natural to sent out the Italian-French pairing for the first match.

"What do you think?"

He didn't have to look at the neko-jin to know where his thoughts were heading. "This won't be an easy match. The Majestics are no pushover."

"Yeah." Ray said, nodding to himself. "I just hope Tyson realizes that. I'm afraid the outcome of the last two rounds might have gotten through to that thick head of his."

"True…" Kai inclined his head slightly. _Tyson is Tyson. He'll pull through…_

"Bladers, are you ready?!" Jazzman shouted. "And 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!"

The four beyblades flew into the smooth dish and immediately Tyson and Enrique went head to head, clashing against each other's blades, determined to gain the upper hand. Then out of nowhere, Oliver's Unicolyon tackled Dragoon, knocking it aside and dangerously close to the edge.

Oliver spoke up, eyes glimmering with dark amusement. "Are you forgetting that there are two of us in this match? Or is your head still in clouds? This is a doubles match, Tyson. It takes two to win this."

"Hah!" Tyson said. "Look whose talking. As I recall, the last time we fought as a team, you guys stink in the teamwork department."

"Technically, the last time we fought was several years ago. We've grown must stronger since. Watch!" smugly, Enrique tossed forward at arm, yelling out a command to his blade. "Amphilyon,attack him!"

On his command, his blade charged at Dragoon still teetering close to the sides. Without warning just like Oliver's blade, Draciel rushed in between the two, taking the blow meant for its partner. The force shook it but in the end, steel defense won over all and the green blade was as steady as ever.

"You're one to talk." Max said, reminding them that _he_ was there too as well.

"Alright, Maxie!" Tyson grinned. "I knew I could count on you to cover my back."

His partner gave him a thumb-up in reply. "Happy to back you up. Now let's finish them off!"

"They actually think they can beat us with just their teamwork." Enrique scoffed clearly amused. "Let's show them a thing or two about actual blading. Amphilyon!"

Oliver followed his lead, summoning forth his own Bitbeast. "Unicolyon! Take them down!"

Both Bitbeasts of the Majestics took center-stage, towering over the beyblades. But Tyson and Max refused to be intimidated by their opponent's sacred spirits and called out their own Bitbeasts to level the playing field. The sight of four animal spirits looming over would have terrified any ordinary blader but Oliver and Enrique were far from ordinary.

Sharing similar smirks on their faces, they each gave out their commands to deal with Dragoon and Draciel. "Stampede Shock, Unicolyon! Shake them off balance!" "Amphilyon, tackle them now!"

The floor of the Beystadium started to tremble under Unicolyon's hooves and the beyblades in the center started to wobble. Even Max's Draciel started to slip its hold on the ground. With experience moves, Enrique's two-headed Bitbeasts rushed their opponents, both heads striking Draciel and Dragoon in the chests respectively. Caught off balanced, both sacred spirits of the Bladebreakers stumbled, crashing into one another. Max and Tyson cried out to them, trying to lend them strength to recover but before their Bitbeasts could regain their footing, the unicorn Bitbeast was there, inflicting dealing blows to them and to finish off, slamming them both from the dish. Their respective blades followed, landing at their feet dejectedly.

Stunned, Tyson glanced back at the dish, blinking to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He blinked once, twice and each time he saw Enrique and Oliver's beyblade instead of his and Max's.

"What just..." words failed him.

"What just happened is that you just lost, my friends." Enrique offered unkindly.

"N-no way..." Max whispered in shock.

As though to draw them back to reality, Jazzman shouted into the microphone then, his voice reflecting the shock of the audience. "WHAT AN INCREDIBLE UPSET! FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE START OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, MAX AND TYSON HAVE LOST A MATCH! THIS MEANS THE MAJESTICS TAKE THE FIRST SET OF THIS ROUND!"

"I-I don't believe it..." Kenny whimpered. "What happened?"

"I can believe they lost." Ray muttered in shock.

_You can't... but I can, _eyes closed and arms folded over his chest in thought, Kai was a picture of complete calm despite the fact his team had just lost one set. In his mind eye, he kept replaying the battle, swiftly deciding where his teammates have gone wrong and where their opponents had the advantage. Power was everything against the Majestics. _I should have seen this coming._

When the said teammates returned to the benches, he didn't bother to look up at them. He could already imagine the dejected look on Tyson's face and the disappointed, sadden expression on Max's.

"Sorry, guys..." Max said softly.

"I guess we underestimated them." Tyson uncharacteristically admitted.

"You guess?" Kenny demanded.

Fortunately, Ray intervened before Kenny could get his anger working on Tyson and Max which might lead to a panic attack. "Calm down, Chief. They did their best and that's all that matters. Now it's my turn."

"Good luck, dude." Tyson said, pumping fists with him. "Show Johnny whose boss."

Ray grinned, displaying sharp canines. "Will do."

After exchanging high-fives with Max, the Chinese blader headed out, clutching his blade tightly in his right hand. Mentally he could feel the comforting presence of Driger brushing against his anxiety. They can do this. They had to. Across, the red-haired Scottish blader stepped up as well with his usual confident smirk on his face.

"How cute. Kai decided to send a kitten to fight his battles for him." were the first words exchanged between them.

Ray's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch it, Johnny."

"Testy." Johnny sneered. "Just how I like my opponents to be before I demolish them."

"You talk big, Johnny." the neko-jin retorted, snapping Driger into place. "But can you walk the talk?"

"Can I?" the Majestic bladers snorted. "Ray, you're in for a surprise."

"Beybladers, at the ready! 3, 2, 1!" Jazzman shouted. "Let it rip!!"

"Go, Driger!"

"Finish him off, Salamalyon!"

The beyblades met in the center of the dish, clashing and slamming hard against each other. Sparks and tiny pieces of chips flews as attack rings grinded and the spin base of the blades fought for purchase against the uneven battle ground thanks to the battle earlier. None let up on the other, refusing to back down.

_Kai was right, _Ray thought, gritting his teeth against the strain and effort. _The Majestics are no pushovers. Especially Johnny. _

"Alright! Go for it, Driger!" he shouted. "Vulcan Claw!"

The center of the white blade started to glow, shimmering in a white light. Then with a roar that seemed to shake the entire stadium, the great white tiger emerged from its bit, claws flashing as it launched itself at its prey. But before its claws sunk into the red blade, Salamalyon dodged, disappearing on the spot leaving Driger tearing at empty air.

"What the...?"

Johnny laughed shortly at the stunned expression on the raven-haired boy's face. "Like I said, Ray. You're in for a surprise. Now, Salamalyon! Flaming Fortress!"

Almost immediately as though the red blade had been waiting for this moment, walls of fire rushed up from it. Driger was nearly caught in the sudden burst of fire, only jumping back barely in time. Keeping a wary distance, the tiger growled menacingly at the ever-growing flames. Ray could see the flames were growing bigger, fiercer and it was only a matter of time before it consumed the Beystadium and his blade with it. He needed a plan and fast!

"There's no escape, Ray. Sooner or later, Salamalyon's flames will destroy all in its path and I don't think you can stand loosing your precious beyblade and your kitten." Johnny gloated.

_Driger...no...I'll not loose Driger again. But I can't loose this match as well..._

"Call back Driger, Ray."

He blinked against the conflict and turned slightly to face Kai. The captain had rose to his feet, approached the dish and was facing him with a certainty Ray wished he had. "Kai?"

"Just do as I say." Kai said, red orbs serious as ever. "Forfeit this match."

"What?" he couldn't believe what Kai was asking him to do. "Kai-!"

The phoenix cut in brusquely. "It's either our title or your Bitbeast. A true blader will know when to throw in the towel."

Torn, Ray glanced back at his blade, at his Bitbeast and at the flames that inched closer and closer every passing second. It was closing in fast and even the dish was melting under its intense heat. There was no way his blade would be able to withstand he heat. But still...his team was counting on him.

"You have five seconds, tops, before your little kitty cat is toasted." his opponent gloated.

_I'm sorry, Driger..._

Yellow eyes closed in defeat as he held out his hand. "Driger, return."

Despite the reluctance to give up a match, the spirit obediently fell back into its bit once more and the blade flew back into its master's out-stretched hand. Even then, it was uncomfortably warm to touch and Ray knew any longer and Driger would have been overcome by the flames. He hoped he made the right decision.

"Wise choice, Ray." Johnny smirked fully.

The flames evaporated, leaving behind a still spinning blade in the center of the stadium, unaffected while the rest of the dish was left in a melted heap. Thin tendrils of smoke rose from the scotched marks created by the raging flames. The winner was decided.

"WHAT AN OVER-FIRED MATCH!" Jazzman yelled suddenly, scattering the silence that filled the stadium for the second time that day. "RAY HAS FORFEITED THIS SET WHICH MEANS THE MAJESTICS TAKE THIS ROUND! THE MAJESTICS MOVE INTO THE QUARTERFINALS!"

Through this, Ray merely stared at his blade, at the white tiger form in the center. Around him, he could hear the rapid roars of the crowd, some outraged by the unexpected outcome and others cheering on the Majestics for defeating the reigning world champions. He did what he had to do. He had already experienced the lost of Driger more than once and it had hurt. He just didn't want to find out how much compared to loosing a championship title.

"Ray! Dude, are you alright?"

"I...I'm sorry, guys."

"Don't be. You did what you had to do." Tyson said firmly. "Another minute there and Driger would have been fried kitty."

"Tyson's right, man." Max joined in, his blue eyes sympathetic and understanding. "You did what you have to do, what was best for Driger."

_Man, if only Faith was here to see that_, Ray thought sourly. _That would certainly solve that problem, wouldn't it?_

* * *

A/n: Well, that's quite a change of pace isn't it? I wonder if you saw that coming. Okay. Now **please review**. A review from every reader will make me a whole lot better.

On the side note, university exams are around the corner and I am dealing with the stress of studying, surviving, bitchy college mates and kicking their asses for the exams so wish me luck. And if I fail to update within the next six months or so, that would either mean I am dead from the stress or simply going through a writer's block. Again. Let's hope it's the latter.

Signing out for now.


	11. Eyes of the World on You

A/n: First and foremost I would like to thank Baby Angel for the sudden increase in reviews and thanks to her I have achieved a 100 reviews for this story! Also not to forget my loyal and ever patient reviewers…or-chan, brezzybrez, ShadowWolfDagger, and faith. I love you guys!

Also, to those who do not know this yet, the creators of Beyblade will be releasing the FOURTH SEASON some time in summer. Your loyalty and support to the show are not in vain and has paid off! Hopeful they will be using our dearly beloved original cast and not some new kids. Hence to celebrate this news, I present to you the next chapter.

Now on to the story!

* * *

Chapter 10 – Eyes of the World on You

The ride back to the hotel passed in silence. Each Bladebreaker mauling over their battles today, wondering what had gone wrong and how they could have made any difference. Hilary was trying to comfort them, for once not picking a fight with Tyson over his lost. Once in a while she would shoot Kai questioning glances as if demanding he do something about the team spirit. But Kai would brush her off, letting his team wallow in their state. Not that it mattered now. It was over.

"Oh for the love of god!" she snapped once they had arrived at their hotel and returned to their suite. "Snap out of it! It's not the end of the world!"

"For us, it is." Tyson said pitifully. "Everything that we worked for. All for nothing."

"But-." pleadingly she glanced at Kai.

"I guess that means it's over for us." Tyson said mourningly.

"Not quite."

"What?!" all eyes flew to their captain sitting calmly at a window still.

Unaffected by the startled looks they gave him, Kai sighed dismissively. "We're not out of the tournament yet. Seeing as how we are the reigning world champions and currently have two wins and one lost, we are still going to compete in the quarterfinals."

"Something you would know had you been listening during the briefing." Hilary added in acidly at the four stunned boys.

"Wha-!?" Tyson didn't know whether to cry or to laugh in joy. This was the best news he has ever gotten especially from Kai! "Why didn't you tell us!?"

"I wanted you to realize the extent to how serious this is." the phoenix said. "Now you know how real defeat feels like."

"You're kidding!" Max cried in disbelief. "You mean we were all soppy there for nothing?"

"I wouldn't call it for nothing. You lost to the Majestics, remember?" Kai said briskly. "That's something you should be upset about."

"So you knew. That's why you told Ray to throw in the match." Kenny said slowly as all the pieces clicked together. "You knew we would get a second chance at battling the Majestics again. You knew we had nothing to loose."

"Except the respect of some of the fans." the state-haired teen shrugged carelessly indicating he wasn't going to mourn for that lost. "Like I said, it was either Driger or the title. You chose well, Ray."

"Thanks...I guess." the neko-jinn muttered still trying to comprehend the knowledge that Driger's sacrifice had not been in vain. His thoughts were interrupted by Tyson throwing a heavy arm around his shoulder.

"Ya hear that, man? We're still in the tournament!"

"I hear you, man. No need to yell."

"Good! Because I'm not gonna let today repeat its self again! Majestics, watch out!"

Watching them, Hilary allowed a smile across her face. It seems that the team was back to their old selves. Good. Now she wouldn't be stuck with a bunch of moping teenage boys.

Although it was uncalled for when Kai decided to let them drown momentarily in their defeat….

Then again she supposed that was Kai's way of kindness to his team. Flopping down into a sofa in front of the flat-screen television, she reached forward for the remote and flicked it on. The channel that came on was the sports news update and Hilary stared at it apprehensively for a few moments before her brain kicked in.

"Um, guys?"

Her first attempt only caught Kai's attention and he tore his eyes away from his celebrating teammates to stand behind Hilary's sofa. His dark eyes, shielded by his slate-haired bangs watched the screen carefully, finally understanding what had caught Hilary's concern.

Hilary's second try was more impressive and more effective.

"WILL YOU BOYS JUST SHUT UP AND COME SEE THIS?!" she shouted.

Silence resonated followed by the sound of scrambling feet as the rest of the team settled around the television to see what she had to show them. On the screen, a woman reporter was reading out the latest result of the world championships.

"Joining the Majestics, The Bladebreakers, White Tigers and the British team in the quarterfinals are the Blitzkreig team and their opponents, the Canadian team."

"Sweet. Lee's team made it." Ray said in relief.

"As expected of the Russian team, the Blitzkreig team has advanced into the quarterfinals after easily making short work of their Canadian opponents. However some say it's because of homeland advantage that the fearsome team had only managed to defeat Canada's bladers. A fact that will soon be tested when the Blitzkreig team will battle the Canadian team in Canada for the quarterfinals of Group A, next week."

"I just bet Tala's team is gonna be moping the stadium floor with the other team!" Tyson said excitedly.

"Hush, Tyson!" Hilary hissed, hitting him over the head.

"Ow..."

"I don't think Tala would need homeland advantage to defeat his opponents." Ray said dryly.

"Now in a shocking revelation, the American team, the All Starz experienced an unexpected defeat in the preliminary round of Block B to newcomers, the Silver Wolves." the reporter continued. In the background, they could see the replay of the battles as the All Starz pairing team made of Steve and Eddy were quickly defeated by members of Faith's team and Emily faced off against Faith herself only to lose in the end.

"I don't believe it!" Max gasped, eyes widening in shock. "Mom's team lost? It can't be."

"And Emily didn't even have time to call out her Bitbeast." Kenny observed.

Tyson waved his hand in dismissal. "You guys are just over-reacting. I'm sure Faith just got lucky and you know how your mother likes to collect data on her opponents."

Max pondered the theory and nodded slowly. "Yeah. You're right, man. She's probably just collecting data and information on Faith's team for their rematch in the quarterfinals. Mom would never let her team lose to an unknown team for no reason."

"Well, technically the All Starz did lose to you guys when you were an unknown team." Hilary reminded them warily.

"Look where that got us now."

"That's not my point, Tyson!"

Blocking his teammate's voices from his surroundings, Kai concentrated on the television, focusing on the continuous replay of the last battle between the spectacled blader of the All Starz and Faith. Somehow he didn't think it was planned as Tyson had suggested. The shock and disbelief on Emily's face as she watched her beyblade leave the Beystadium in broken pieces certainly wasn't planned. They were genuine emotions, drawn on by her unexpected defeat to an unknown opponent. As real as the small tears of defeat that followed.

_No...they did not lose on purpose. They lost for real._

* * *

The quarterfinals took place a week later with the world's top television channels broadcasting the matches live through satellite. The Bladebreakers gathered in the living room of their hotel suite after a day of training while Hilary turned up the volume of the television currently showing the match between the Blitzkreig team versus the Canadian team in the latter's homegrounds.

Despite their disadvantage in homeland, the winners were pretty clear when Bryan and Spencer made quick, merciless work of their doubles opponent. Alexis despite her lacking in the area of sacred spirits, fought with a vigor that showed that she just wasn't any ordinary female blader and ended the match swiftly. It was decided. The Blitzkreig team was in the semi-finals against whichever team that won the Block B quarterfinals be it the All Starz or the Silver Wolves.

"Huh." reaching out for another helping of popcorn only to have his hand slapped away by Hilary, Tyson pulled a face but continued his comment. "What else is there to expect of Tala's team? I swear that team is on drugs!"

"Either that or they've really trained their butts off for this tournament." Ray put in.

The capped boy shrugged. "Well, so did we."

"I think it would be cool to face them again." Max said cheerily. "Then this time we'll actually get to see who's the strongest."

"Hey, look!" Kenny exclaimed suddenly. "The All Starz's match against the Silver Wolves is on now!"

Quickly quieting down, the teens resumed their places in front of the television to watch the start of the match although there was a commotion between Max and Tyson squabbling over the beanie bag which Hilary quickly settled by snatching it away from them. The excited voices of A.J and Brad could be heard blasting from the television set as they reported the happenings of the tournament.

"AND WE ARE BACK WITH THE REMATCH BETWEEN THE WORLD CLASS TEAM, THE ALL STARZ VERSUS THE UNDERDOGS –and I do mean underdogs literally- THE SILVER WOLVES!" Brad announced.

"That's so lame, man."

"I know."

With enough grandeur as usual, Jazzman made his appearance, rising up above the crowd with a microphone to his mouth as he waved his arm. "Ladies and gentlemen, introducing all the way from America….THE ALL STARZ!"

The spotlight hit the American team, basking them in its light and revealing a full gloating Michael who drank in the attention he was receiving. He blew kisses at his fans and when someone threw a bouquet of flower at him, he proved his baseball skills by easily catching it in his glove.

"Michael, stop showing off!" Judy reprimanded, her brows furrowing in displeasure.

"Relax, Judy. I'm just giving the fans what they want. More of me!" that said, the captain flashed a wink and a grin directly at the cameras.

Judy sighed, resisting the dire need to either throw her laptop at him or to take an aspirin. Then when Jazzman announced the other team's entrance, her entire demeanor shifted becoming sharper as she narrowed her eyes on the opponents. The team to whom her team had lost to previously strolled into the arena confidently with no sign of hesitation. Faith led the team, her dark gaze looking around in a bore manner before they noticed Judy scrutinizing her. She smirked and Judy stiffened. She wasn't going to be getting anything out of her just by looking.

She turned back to address her team, satisfied that Emily had pacified Michael. "Alright, team. You know the drill. We've been through this and no fooling around this time. I'll not tolerate a loss like last time."

All serious now, the team standing before her nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Alright. Steve, Eddy. You're up first. Make it fast." the director instructed.

"Yes, ma'am." both boys saluted her before heading forward.

Two members of the other team broke away from the bench, calmly striding up to the arena. They looked like fairly normal Chinese and Japanese girls, both of the same height with an average built for girls. The Chinese girl wore a red traditional Chinese top over a simple pair of white three-quarter pants. The red of the top matched perfectly with her black hair tied into a tight bun with a chopstick and brown eyes that were kind and soulful. Whereas her partner on the other hand, was perhaps best deemed as the opposite of her for her red locks were dyed with blonde streaks and her eyes, light brown twinkled with mischief. The top she wore was designed like a kimono only shorter, blue with cerulean blue ribbons lining the hem over a black three-quarter pants.

"Hey there. Fancy meeting you here again." Steve mused, studying them.

Eddy nudged him in the ribs. "Knock it off, man. We're here to win, not flirt. Besides Director Judy will kill you." he warned with a careless chuckle.

The Japanese girl looked at them curiously before turning to the black-haired beside her and whispered something to her ear. An amused smile curled the Chinese girl's lips before she nodded and turned back to their opponents.

"Iris said, it would be fun to kick your butts again." she informed them in perfect English.

"What?!" surprised and very irritated by the bold proclamation, Steve and Eddy glared at the Japanese girl only to have her grin even more mischievously.

"And I must say, I agree with her." the Chinese female added in with a sly grin of her own.

"What?! Why you cocky little –!"

Thankfully Jazzman interrupted before Steve could complete that sentence. "Today, going up against the American team –Steve and Eddy- yet again are Iris and Freya of the Silver Wolves! Will the bladers please take their position?!"

All four bladers yanked out their launchers, locking in their beyblades into launching position.

"AND 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!"

Simultaneously as the blades were launched into the stadium, the crowd gave out a loud excited cheer and applause as the match started. Instantly Steve dived into attack mode, aiming for the royal purple beyblade that he knew belonged to the Japanese girl. He intended to finish her fast. No toying around, no mercy. Now like last time. Somewhere else in the stadium, he could feel his partner holding the other girl at bay, preventing her from coming to her partner's aid.

_Perfect, _he thought as his blade swooped in on the motionless blade. "Game over!"

No one noticed the slightly grin and the predatory glint on Iris's face. No one all save for her partner who shared the same smirk.

Their blades collided, throwing up dust and smoke from the impact and blinding everyone from clear sight of the battle.

"Whoa! I can't see a thing!" Jazzman exclaimed as he franticly waved his hand on front of him to clear the dust from his face.

"I doubt any beyblade would have survived that." A.J commented in excitement.

Watching from the comfort of their hotel suite, Max and Tyson instinctively leaned in closer to the television screen until Kenny started complaining that they were blocking everyone's view. Hilary grabbed both boys by the cuffs of their neck and yanked them back into their original sitting places with a stern command to 'sit and don't move or else…'

"That was one powerful attack." Ray said. "I don't think she would have survived that."

"Nah." Tyson waved off his words in dismissal. "Steve is all power. It would have been easy for Dragoon to dodge that attack and get him on the rebound."

"Says you now." Hilary muttered under her breath.

"But Iris didn't move from her spot even at the point of impact." Kenny said worriedly. He nibbled nervously on his lower lip. "It's either she's too slow or she's up to something."

Slowly as they watched, the smoke cleared and soon they could hear the familiar sound of blades spinning. A shocking sight greeted them when they finally got clear view of what happened. Iris's beyblade had not only survived the attack but also reversed the position of attack to her favor as her blade spun atop Steve's, using its spin momentum to grind the heavy blade deeper into the stadium. Already cracks appeared on the floor of the dish like spider webs.

"What the hell –!" Steve shouted in rage and shock.

"It seems that Iris is still in the game and has obviously turned the tide against Steve!" Jazzman confirmed the scene eagerly.

Again the crowd roared their approval of the exciting heart-stopping match. Iris smirked confidently, obviously enjoying the attention.

"Tryhorn, shake her off!" the American blader bellowed.

His blade tilted from side to side viciously, trying to throw the blade upon it off-balance. To Steven's frustration, it only drove his blade deeper into the stadium.

"A little help would be nice, man." Steve grounded out to his partner.

"Hang in there, Steve." Eddie said. He swiftly switched his attention to his beyblade. "Trypio, go!"

His orange blade started to move in but out of nowhere, a blood red blade collided into his from the side, nearly knocking it out of the stadium.

"You ain't going anywhere." Freya said coyishly.

"Whose gonna stop me?" he bit back.

Her lip curled slightly. "We are." she replied.

Then as everyone watched in amazement, Iris's blade eased up its attack on Steve, abandoning it in pursuit of Eddie's instead. Both blades attacked him relentlessly in a swirl of purple and red.

"What the hell?" the basketball player gasped.

Freya and Iris shared a glance as an unspoken message ran between them both. They nodded and simultaneously, the blades pulled back slightly, only to return with a colliding force that slammed the weakening blade right from the stadium.

"Ouch!" A.J shouted. "There goes Eddie!"

"Whoa…" Max and Tyson muttered under their breaths, eyes completely glued to the screen. "Damn…"

"And with one down, that leaves only Steve in the game!" Jazzman informed the crowd excitedly.

"Correction." Freya interrupted suddenly, speaking loudly and clearly over the roar of the audience. "They are both out of the game."

"What?"

The camera panned away from the bladers and concentrated on the stadium where only two beyblades remained calmly circling the dish like two red and purple fishes in a pond. Of Steve's blade, there was no sign of it until a soft 'click' was heard near the bench of the All Starz. Emily stood up to inspect it and her eyes widened when she realized the item was Steve's blade.

"AND JUST LIKE THAT! IT'S OVER! THE SILVER WOLVES TAKES THE DOUBLES ROUND AGAINST THE ALL STARZ, TAKING THE LEAD!" Brad announced.

"What the hell…?" Tyson blinked against the screen. "What just happened?"

"When did they attack Steve?" Hilary frowned. She turned to the boy huddling over his laptop next to her. "Anything, Chief?"

Kenny tapped the keyboard. The screen showed the recording of match with the Silver Wolves' blades closing in on the Eddie's blade, creating a whirl of colours; red and purple. The Chief slowed the play speed and watched closely. He let out a cry when he found something.

"I got it! Apparently, their first attack on Eddie creates an illusion of colours that tricks naked eye into believing we see both Beyblades. With everyone concentrated on the main attack, Iris's blade pulls away and goes after the remaining opponent with his guard down the same time, her partner eliminates Eddie instead."

"Wow, Chief." Hilary muttered, impressed by his observation skills.

"Are you kidding me? The All Starz lost to a cheap trick like that?" Tyson exclaimed loudly.

"No way." Max shook his head slowly. "Mom's team wouldn't loose that easily. Not like that."

"Maybe they're betting their best on Emily and Michael." Ray suggested in a consoling manner.

"Maybe." Max muttered, concentrating his attention back on the television set.

"With that lost, the Silver Wolves takes the lead!" Jazzman was announcing. "Can the All Starz redeem themselves by winning the singles? Next up, ready to avenge herself against Faith is Emily!"

The camera panned in on Emily's determined face as she rose from the bench and removed her team jacket. Judy and Michael approached her, blocking her way.

"What?" she looked at them from one to the other.

"Emily…" Judy began slowly but firmly. "I think it's better if Michael takes this round."

"What?" said the tennis player again. "But I…"

"Emily, I'll take care of Faith for you." Michael assured her with his usual cocky grin. "Don't worry about it."

"Faith knows what you are capable of." Judy tried to reason. "She won't know what will hit her with Michael."

Emily's eyes darted between them, reading their expressions. As much as she wanted to get her revenge on the opponent for her defeat, she remembered she had to do what was best for the team first. Shifting her gaze to the dark-haired female across the stadium, she drew back on her jacket and nodded. "Alright. Make her pay, Michael."

He grinned and flipped her a thumbs up before he headed forward, drawing out his launcher and Beyblade.

Jazzman, having realized the change, held the microphone to his mouth and shouted. "There appears to be change in bladers from the All Starz. Instead of Emily, Michael would be battling against Faith."

Kai found himself gritting his teeth, his jaw muscles tightening when the camera focused on Faith's confident smirk unfazed by the switch in opponents. She was as he last remembered her. Overconfident and annoyingly deceptive. She cocked her head as she regarded Michael with anticipation.

"How sweet. Stepping in for the damsel in distress." she taunted slyly.

Michael for one, allowed his grin to widen as he studied his opponent and found he liked what he saw. "On the contrary, I am doing it so that I could meet another damsel. Although the distress part will probably come later when I beat you."

She laughed dryly. "Oh, so funny and so ridiculously lame."

"You got lucky in the previous round, Faith but this time it's going to be different." Michael said coolly.

She didn't bother replying but smirked instead as she held out her launcher, ready to go. Michael copied her, preparing his launch.

"Bladers, ready!" Jazzman shouted. "3, 2, 1! Let it rip!!"

"Let's do this, Trygle!" Michael roared, pumping his fist in excitement. "Fast Ball Attack!"

"I don't think so." Faith injected. Her eyes bored as ever, now flashed up with keenness for the kill of her prey. On cue, the center of her beyblade started to glow just as her blade increased in speed.

Michael's blade sliced in, faster than the eye could follow but Faith herself had moved, unable to be tracked even as Trygle recovered its bearings.

"What the hell?" Michael swore. His eyes scanned the dish, finding nothing but his own blade spinning alone close to the side to prevent an ambush.

"What's wrong, Mikey?" Faith asked with fake concern. "Something wrong with your eyes?"

"Wow! And just like that, Faith has gained the upper hand!" Brad exclaimed in excitement. "I guess this is what they mean by 'out of sight, out of mind.'"

"Huh." the All Starz captain smiled his lopsided grin. "Time to get serious. Trygle!"

His blade started to glow from its center and the form of an eagle emerged from the bit, taking shape like crystal particles before everyone. Completed in form, it threw its head back and released an ear-piercing shriek.

"Oh, man. He's serious now." Tyson snickered.

Faith remained unfazed, undisturbed. If anything, she was amused. Scoffing softly under her breath, she shook her head, reprimanding her opponent for his actions.

"Well, if you insist."

Then to everyone's surprise, her beyblade was just there. Out of nowhere. Hovering directly next to Trygle, silent as death. The center of her blade was shining, spilling out a red-black light that grew only brighter and brighter.

"A Bitbeast?" Max gasped. "She has a Bitbeast too?"

"Makes sense. She could only have gotten this far with one." Ray reasoned.

Kai silently agreed with his teammate, curious to see what sort of Bitbeast she had and whether she had the skill to wield it.

The glow from the beyblade was starting to overwhelm the stadium to the point Jazzman and the spectators had to squint their eyes through the light in order to see what was going on. Michael found himself doing the same, shielding his eyes from the core of the light as he gasped in shock and awe at the raw unseen power emitting from the blade.

"Trygle!" he shouted in desperation when he realized he couldn't see his Bitbeast.

Even those watching from their living room seats were blinded by the glare of Faith's Beyblade. The dark light was hurting his eyes but Kai didn't care. He had to see what the source of Faith's power was.

"Damn…" he heard Tyson muttered in awe.

Without warning the image sizzled out and only static coloured the television screen, leaving them in a state of confusion.

"What happened?" Kenny cried out.

Hilary turned to Tyson accusingly. "Tyson, did you trip the wire or something?"

"I wasn't even moving!"

"Did someone sit on the remote?"

"Guys, hang on a minute." Max interrupted, his attention however somewhere else as he listened keenly to his headphones. The radio in his mp3 player was on and his thumb flicked to turn the volume up a notch. "It's not our television." he announced after a moment. "Apparently, Faith's attack interrupted the camera signals at the stadium. It's the same with every television station broadcasting the match."

His announcement left them stunned.

"She did this?" Ray summarized hollowly.

Max nodded, pulling the headphones from his ears. "Yeah. Seems like it."

Tyson glanced around, taking in their impression and finally raised a hand, voicing his thoughts. "So how exactly powerful is Faith's Bitbeast?"

_How powerful indeed_, Kai thought with a frown.

Hilary then voiced the next thought that came unhindered to everyone's mind. "Do you think Michael would have survived that attack?"

They exchanged looks, hoping the other would know the answer. Kenny shook his head.

"Well, looks like we'll only find out tomorrow then when it comes out in the news."

* * *

The next morning, the whole beyblading world was greeted with a shocking surprise. It was on the front page of every newspaper in town and every sport channels was talking about it. The amazing feat accomplished.

The Silver Wolves had defeated the American world class team, the All Starz in just a two round match which ended in less than an hour. The underdogs move on to the semi-finals against the Blitzkreig team.

"Dammit. They must be better than we thought." Tyson muttered when he saw the headlines. He glanced at the blonde boy next to him, reading the article with a sadden face. "Max, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Mom must be devastated to lose the world championships like that." Max said quietly.

"Hey, don't worry, Maxie. We'll get even for her and the All Starz. Besides, Faith's gonna have to go through Tala's team first before the finals. She won't stand a chance against him." Hilary piped in confidently. "Tala will probably wipe the dish with her blade!"

Max glanced up at his teammates and noticed that Ray and Kenny were agreeing with the girl. He supposed what she said was true. Tala's team was tougher than most teams out there. The semi-finals for their division should be something to watch.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he glanced at Kai and couldn't help but notice the disturbed look that crossed the taller boy's face as he stood there in silence, watching the team discuss the tournament results so far. His crimson eyes, however, were glazed over, his mind somewhere else.

Max wondered what had their emotionless captain so uptight. Surely he wasn't worried…was he?

* * *

A/n: I got nothing to say. But you do! Read and Review!


	12. Payback

A/n: It's amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it. I should listen to my own words. While the previous chapter was more like a filler chapter…who am I kidding. I have no time for filler chapters like anime writers do.

Thank you hugs and kisses to...brezzybrez, faith, En-En-Chan, baby angel, Lil-Turtle, ikl wings and ShadowBlade7330.

* * *

Chapter 11 - Payback

"Hm…"

Tyson frowned up at the girl watching from the sidelines of the dish, his concentration momentarily wavering. This caused his Dragoon to falter slightly. Sensing his opponent's distraction, Max took advantage of it and lunged at the white blade. Blades clashed, drawing Tyson back to the match.

"Hey!"

Max grinned sheepishly. "Come on, Tyson. Eyes on the game." he said.

The other boy gritted his teeth, knowing he had no excuse for his relapse in attention. "Go, Dragoon!"

"Too slow, dude!"

"ARGH!"

"Hm…"

"Hilary!"

At the sound of her name shouted all of the sudden by the boy she found most incompetent to be world champion, Hilary blinked up at him. "Huh? What?"

"Stop that!" he barked at her.

"Stop what?"

"That 'hm'ing of yours!" Tyson retorted. "It's distracting me!"

She flustered a little. "Well, I am sorry. You don't have to yell at me. I was just thinking."

"Well, can't you just think a little quieter?" he asked snappishly

"I said I was sorry." Hilary replied sourly.

Shooting one last glare at her, Tyson went back to his match at hand, mindful that Max was grinning from ear to ear while his green blade waiting patiently.

"You done?" Max asked.

"Yeah. I am done." the world champion grounded out. "Dragoon, attack!"

Both blades went at it, evading and bouncing back at the other. Attack rings sparred until sparks flew in different directions. They leapt apart and paused, seizing each other up before going at it again.

"Hm…"

"HILARY!"

Throwing up his hands in frustration, Tyson turned to the brown-haired girl and glared. "What did I just say?"

Realizing she was distracting him again, Hilary planted her hands on her hips and glared back. "I was just thinking that maybe you and Max should just rotate partners for your rematch against the Majestics. I mean, they know your every moves in the Beystadium. Going up against them will be like a replay of what happened last time!"

"Wrong!"

"What makes it so different this time?" she demanded.

By now, Max had called back Draciel with an exasperated sigh, realizing that the practice battle was going nowhere now.

"Because, Kenny has come up various ways for Max and I to fight back. Compared to last time, we are in top form. And this time, there's no need for you to worry. We have a secret plan."

"A secret plan?" she stared at him flabbergasted, her fist twitching with the urge to knock the smug look off his face. "What dumb plan have you cooked up this time?"

"It is not dumb!"

"I am telling you, Tyson!" Hilary insisted. "You should reconsider maybe switching with Ray or Kai. Just to be safe!"

"Hah!" Tyson snorted. "Not in a lifetime. Kai and I will probably end up killing each other and Ray has a personal score to settle with Johnny."

"This is not the time for personal vendetta." she rolled her eyes. What was it with males and their egos…?

To her surprise, Max spoke up then. "Sorry, Hil. But this is exactly what this is about. It has to be us to beat Oliver and Enrique. No one else."

Tyson nodded in approval. "You tell her, Max."

"Wha-?" Hilary asked in confusion. She had expected this from Tyson but not Max, of all people. "But why?"

"Because we just have to." Max explained calmly. He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in before he continued. "Hilary, we are the defending champions. You of all people should know that defeating someone who has beaten us means a lot to us."

She stared at him, then at Tyson to whom she scowled at when she noticed the smug look on his face. Then she let out a long sigh and stepped back, holding up her hands in surrender. "Fine. I give up. You guys go get 'em."

Max grinned. "Thanks, Hilary. I knew you would understand."

"Way to go, Max." Tyson applauded. "Now where were we?"

"I believe I was kicking your ass with my awesome defense moves."

Hilary could hear Tyson issuing a challenge to rebuff the statement as she walked away from their training section to join Kenny instead.

"How are they holding up, Hilary?" the glassed boy asked without looking up from his laptop.

"I am not sure, Chief." she admitted. "They are as stubborn as a pair of mules. That's for sure. But I don't think stubbornness is gonna help them beat Enrique and Oliver."

"I won't be too worried about them if I were you." Kenny replied off-handedly. "Besides, the strategies I came up for them are flawless. There's no way they can screw up two times in a row."

Hilary found herself edging away from the sinister crackle that uncharacteristically seemed to be coming before the shorter boy. "Ok-ay. Right, Chief. Whatever you say. Say, where's Ray? Shouldn't he be training too?"

"Well…" Kenny actually stopped in his work, looking up at her with a thoughtful look. "He came in hours ago to collect Driger. He had me modified its base and attack ring to the heat resistance kind. I haven't seen him since then though. Maybe he's out training somewhere else."

_And possibly with someone else_, Hilary realized as she looked around and noticed the absence of one more member.

* * *

True enough, Ray was several training rooms down the hall, caught up in the strenuous training regime he had brought upon himself. At the moment, he found himself on the receiving end of a lot of heat.

"Shit." he cursed for the umpteen time in the last five hours. He was exhausted, sweaty and extremely frustrated at himself.

The flames came at him like a bellowing dragon, flaring at his heels as he vaulted out of the way. The hem of his outfit was torn and burn and a cramp was making its self known in his right leg. Nevertheless he managed to keep up his pace. Finally the flames subdued a little, allowing him space to breath.

Driger spun close at his heel, in a similar state as its owner. The newly replaced attack ring was blackened with charred marks and smoke still rose from where it could not escape the fire in time. Those marks however were made two hours ago and not one has been added since.

Ray supposed that could be considered improvement.

His opponent on the other hand would beg to differ.

"Come on, Ray." Kai snapped with a glare. "We've been at this for five hours now. You should at least be immune to the heat by now. Johnny isn't going to give you time to get used to it!"

Ray did not refute the captain's words, knowing what he said was true. Panting heavily, all he could do was nod.

Kai took in his teammate's condition and sighed. "Pick up your blade." he ordered. Dranzer flew back into his outstretched palm, the phoenix's glow pulsing to be unleashed again.

"Alright." Ray retrieved his blade and inspected it carefully before he reloaded it again into his launcher. With a firm click, he held it out as Kai did the same. They launched the beyblades with a unison shout.

"Go for it, Driger!" the neko-jin ordered.

"Dranzer! Blazing Gig!"

This time, instead of running away from the heat, from the roaring flames rushing at him, Ray stood his ground. Gritting his teeth in determination, he knew he was done with running. He was ready.

"Go, Driger!" he yelled out in a hoarse dry voice.

And as Kai watched in amazement and somewhat satisfaction, Driger dived right into the center of the flames going straight for its core.

* * *

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen!" Jazzman was shouting into the microphone as though the whole stadium was filled with deaf people who just rose from the dead. "And we are back for the quarterfinals for the World Championships that is currently in the peaceful country of Canada!"

"Let's recap, A.J." Brad said analytically. "At the moment, the two teams that have moved on into the semi-finals are the Blitzkreig team and the surprise team from Malaysia, the Silver Wolves. They will be going head to head in the semifinal next week in Rome. But enough about them! Today the next two semi-finalists will be decided from today's matches."

"Our first match for today hopefully won't be a rerun for the disastrous match that occurred in Brazil between the Bladebreakers and their long time opponents, the Majestics. Having lost to them, the Bladebreakers have only one more shot at gaining a chance to defend their world title." A.J filled in, announcing exactly what was on everyone's mind at the moment.

Down in the locker rooms, their comments on television were not missed by the teams as they awaited their turns to enter the arena.

"Dammit." Tyson muttered as he paced the room's length. "Can't they give us a break? I mean, what is their problem?"

"Ignore them, Tyson." Max said. "Now we just need to concentrate to beating Enrique and Oliver. Remember the plans we went through?"

Tyson nodded and Ray was pleased that Max managed to calm him down. "Chill out, guys. You'll do fine. I know you will."

Hilary sighed from where she sat next to Kenny. "I still think Tyson and Max should switch partners."

"Oh, come on, Hil." Tyson groaned. "We are not going through this again!"

"I am just saying…" she said defensively. When Tyson continued to glower at her, she turned to Kai for help. "What do you think, Kai?"

From his usual position against the wall, the team captain opened his eyes and looked at his teammates with scrutiny. Then he calmly shrugged. "They'll survive."

To Max and Tyson, they knew that was the closest praise they were going to get from their stoic captain. Hilary sighed in exasperation upon hearing the unexpected reply.

"Thanks, Kai!" Max grinned.

"See? Even Kai believes in us." Tyson said. "Now you just got to as well."

She stared her school mate and friend. "Alright, fine. I guess I should trust in you."

Tyson flashed her a smile which he deemed as winning-some and gave a thumbs up. "Thanks, Hilary!"

Startled by his enthusiasm, Hilary felt a blush rush up her cheeks and she quickly looked away as though something in Kenny's work interested her. Of course, everyone noticed except Tyson who burst into a speech about how they were definitely going to pull through.

By the time their names were announced for their entrance, Hilary was about to chuck a bench at him. As they emerged from the tunnel, they were greeted by excited cries from their fans and loud applauses. People were waving banners at them, wishing them good luck.

Tyson drank it all in and couldn't careless when the Majestics were announced after. Instead he literally ran up to the beystadium and pointed a finger at them challengingly.

"Hey, guys!" he shouted excitedly. "Are you ready?"

Oliver and Enrique smiled fondly at the boy, remembering the first matches they had with him. "Ah, good old Tyson. He never changes." the France man mused.

"The horror if he did." Enrique said before several girls caught his eye and he gave them a wink that sent them swooning.

"First up, from the Majestics, we have Enrique and Oliver to blade for the doubles against their opponents, Tyson and Max from the Bladebreakers!" Jazzman announced, waving his arms. "Bladers, approach the dish! Today, we shall be battling in a simple classical beyblade dish made specifically for this highly anticipated doubles event!"

They did as told, respective blades in their hands along with their launchers.

"Ready!" Jazzman yelled. "3, 2, 1! Let it rip!"

"Go, Unicolyon!" Oliver ordered. "Attack them now!"

"Amphilyon!" Enrique shouted.

Max and Tyson merely exchanged a look and a grin as their Beyblades swiftly found their bearings in the stadium and moved rapid in zigzag motions to meet their opponents. Then just as they were about to collide head-on, Dragoon and Draciel shifted directions, allowing the other two blades to speed past harmlessly.

"What the…" Enrique gasped.

Oliver refused to be deterred by the dodge move. "Unicolyon! Recover and attack!"

"Don't let them, Dragoon!" Tyson egged.

The Bladebreakers' Beyblades immediately attacked their pink and red opponents, meeting them with enough force to push them to the edge of the dish.

"Alright! Good job!" Max shouted excited, pumping his fists. He and Tyson high-fived, congratulating each other on their synchronized attack.

"Not so fast." Enrique barked. "Amphilyon!"

The center of his blade started to glow before the two-headed dragon burst from the bit in a flash of red orange light and two unison roars. Following his partner's lead, Oliver called forth his own Bitbeast. Huffing, the unicorn emerged from the blade and kicked out violently against its attacker. Both of Amphilyon's heads lunged at the blades attacking the bases.

"Ease up!" Max and Tyson yelled.

As their blades backed away, the three heads of the two Bitbeasts banged into each other, disorientating them.

"Oh no! Unicolyon!" Oliver called out in concern.

"You stupid lizard!" Enrique shouted, his face flushed when the audience laughed in amusement at their antics. "Shake off the impact now!"

However the impact between the Bitbeasts had been great and they could only groan and whine pitifully as they tried to shake off the stars swirling around their heads.

"We got them. Alright, Maxie. It's our turn!" Tyson said. "Dragoon!"

"Draciel, go!" Max yelled.

As blue and green light filled the stadium, two more roars resonated from the cores of their Beyblades as Dragoon and Draciel rose like mystical beings from their bits, towering over their disoriented opponents and their awed bladers.

"Go for it!" Tyson yelled. "Galaxy Storm!"

"Draciel! Fortress Typhoon!"

Calling forth wind at its command, Dragoon reared its head and lunged at its adversaries in a swirling whirlwind of bellowing air. Bringing up the rear, Draciel was surrounded by hurricane of water. Both beyblades started moving in a rapid circle around Unicolyon and Amphilyon, forcing them together until they were grinding against each other.

"Dammit!" Enrique swore. "They've got us boxed in!"

"Unicolyon, break free!" Oliver ordered.

The unicorn started to break out of its daze but Draciel was there, knocking it back down just as Dragoon swept in with its fierce attack. Amphilyon and Unicolyon were sucked in a combined whirlwind attack of water and wind that left them helpless and trapped. A second later, their blades were caught in the current and was swept off the stadium dish.

"Let's end this." Max grinned.

Tyson agreed. "Let's. Dragoon!"

On his cue, the attack intensified and disposed the two blades at their owners' feet. Oliver and Enrique could only stare in shock as Tyson and Max summoned back their beyblades.

"After such an exciting match, the Bladebreakers takes this round!" Jazzman announced energetically. "The defensing champions are up by one point and a step closer to the semi-finals!"

"Darn it…" Enrique muttered as he and his partner returned dejectedly to their bench.

"How could you loose?" Johnny sneered.

"We're sorry, guys." Oliver said.

Johnny's scowl deepened and he stood up suddenly and started forward. "I'll take care of the next match. You'll see."

So far quiet, Robert sighed as the hothead Scottish stopped at the dish to face up against the Chinese boy of the Bladebreakers. He could only hope that Johnny's confidence would not cause him the match…

"This seems like a déjà vu." Johnny remarked.

"I beg to differ, Johnny. Things are going to be very different this time." Ray said confidently. "I promise you that. And I always keep my promise."

"Up for the second match now are Johnny for the Majestics and Ray from the Bladebreakers! One step away from a place in the semi-finals, Ray needs to bring everything he's got against Johnny to prevent a replay of the last time they fought. Bladers, ready!"

Loaded launchers were held up, ripcoils at the ready to be pulled.

"And 3, 2, 1!" Jazzman shouted. "Let it rip!"

With unison shouts, both beyblades were released into the beystadium and started to circle each other predatorily.

"What's the matter, Ray?" Johnny taunted. "Scared?"

"Nope." Ray replied casually. "I am not like you."

Perturbed by the laidback manner his opponent was exhibiting, Johnny gritted his teeth. "Well, if you won't attack, I will! Salamalyon! Finish him off fast!"

At once his blade began to glow as the sacred spirit was called forth with a ferocious hiss. Its tongue flickered between its fangs as its deadly tail whipped from side to side.

"It'll be just like last time where I threaten to burn your beloved kitten. Flaming Fortress!" Johnny commanded.

Ray remembered the attack all too well and had expected it. When the wall of flames leapt from the red blade, Driger pulled back to maintain its distance.

"Aw…what's the matter, Ray? Scared of a little heat?"

Ray's eyes darted left and right around the stadium, trying to assess the direction and distance he had left in the dish before the flames would consumed them completely. Finding what he needed, he allowed a grin that surprised Johnny.

"Hey, what's with that grin? What are you smiling about?" the Scottish sneered.

Ray ignored him but instead gave out an order to his blade. "Driger, do it!"

"What the –!" was all Johnny could gap as he watched with wide eyes Ray's white blade diving straight into the flames.

Kai watched with hidden satisfaction the look on his former rival's face when Ray made his bold move. He knew without a doubt the battle was Ray's now.

"Wow, what is he doing?" Hilary asked in awe. "Is he mad?"

"I would think so! I also think he's insane to risk Driger like that!" Kenny gasped in a state of terror. "I may have modified his blade to be heat resistant but not to the kind of heat Johnny's radiating. Ray, what are you doing?"

"Relax, Chief." Max said calmly, patting his arm to settle the smaller teen. "I am sure Ray knows what he is doing."

Tyson glanced alongside at his captain and noticed the contented look on his face. Then he too relaxed, knowing that if Kai was calm, there was nothing to worry about. "Come on, Ray! Kick that spoiled kid's butt!"

Johnny glared at Tyson over his opponent's shoulder. "Who are you calling a spoiled kid?"

"Bad move, Johnny." Ray suddenly smirked the moment the other boy's attention was diverted. "Driger, Thunder Slash!"

There was a sudden explosion of some sort that burst out from the center of the burning blade. Then came a roar that was all too familiar. Without warning, Salamalyon's attack evaporated, slashed to nothing by the claws of the white tiger.

"What? No way!" Johnny shouted. "How is this possible?"

"I told you this match would be different. I always keep my promises." Ray said meaningfully. He stole a glance over his shoulder and gave Kai a thumbs up which the captain acknowledge with a nod.

Hilary caught the knowingly look both boys shared and her intelligent mind quickly pieced everything together. "Oh, so that's why Ray could stand the heat. He has been training with Kai!"

"He has?" Kenny blinked in confusion. "When? How come I wasn't aware of this?"

"Maybe it's because you were too engrossed with our match, Chief?" Tyson suggested.

"No, I was not!" Kenny protested, blushing a bit at the fact.

"Guys, look!" Max suddenly said excitedly. "Ray's going to end it!"

Sure enough, Ray was summoning his final attack. "This little kitty is done toying its play thing. End it now, Driger! Gatling Claw Attack!"

Driger lunged at Salamalyon and was on the lizard before it could evade the attack. Sinking its teeth and claws into its scaly hide, Driger reared its head and tossed the reptile across the dish and out of it. The Beyblade soon followed the bitbeast and with a defeated cry, Salamalyon retreated back into its blade.

"And that ends the match, folks!" Jazzman shouted. "Ray wins the second match! This means the Bladebreakers are in the semi-finals and are still in the running to defend their title!

"Alright, Ray!" Tyson and Max cheered, running up to the center to leap into their friend.

Ray yelped in surprise as their weight nearly knocked him off his feet but he found himself soon laughing and celebrating with them over their victorious comeback.

"You did it, Ray!" Kenny wept happy tears while Hilary tried to pry Tyson off the neko-jinn.

"I am impressed how you guys managed to improve so much in such a short time." Enrique admitted as the Majestics strolled up to them.

"It's called practice and determination." Tyson answered smugly.

"Plus Tyson's stubbornness." Max added in.

"That was some pretty awesome teamwork you guys had there." Oliver said.

Johnny went straight to his former opponent and offered a hand. "Hey, kitty. Great match. To tell you the truth, you caught me by surprise when you made that crazy move. I never expected it."

"Thanks, Johnny." Ray grinned, deciding to let the nickname slide just this once and accepted the handshake warmly.

Watching his teammates interact from a distance, Kai looked up as Robert approached him.

"You have trained your team well, Kai." the German said. "I must congratulate you on that."

"Likewise." Kai replied curtly.

"It's most unfortunate that we never got the chance to battle. I would think a battle between us captains should be an interesting show to witness." Robert said remorsefully.

Kai silently agreed with him, wondering of the outcome of such a battle. "Well, there's always the future."

"Indeed." Robert smiled at the prospect and held out his hand. "It's a promise then."

A long time ago, when the Bladebreakers first met the Majestics, Kai would not have accepted such a gesture from the opposing team. But that was a long time ago and as someone once told him, people change.

Smirking slightly, the bluenette grasped the hand and nodded.

Retracting their hands, Robert glanced back at the teams and noticed something amiss. Or rather, someone. "Say, wasn't there supposed to be one more of you? Where's Jade?"

Kai sighed, realizing Robert was too sharp for that simple fact to slip past him. "We…have run into some problems."

In a brief version, Kai quickly explained to him to the situation the Bladebreakers faced now regarding their Bitbeasts and Faith. By the end of it, Robert was frowning at the seriousness of it.

"So Jade decided to go back to the Silver Wolves' homeland to find out more about what they are up to. Hm, this must be very serious for her to take such drastic measures."

"You think?" Kai said sarcastically.

Robert ignored the sarcasm as he tapped his finger to his chin. "Hm, I shall see what I can do to help. The Dark Bladers should have an idea of what's going on and if we are lucky, we can find out more about the Silver Wolves from them."

"Thank you, Robert." Kai said solemnly, inclining his head in gratitude.

Crossing his arms in front of him, the German teen sighed as he switched to a lighter topic. "So where to next for the semi-finals of the tournament?"

Tyson and Enrique chose to answer the question then. With their arms linked around each other and their hands punching empty air, they shouted together with glee having discovered their next destination.

"WOOHOO! LOOK OUT, ROME! HERE WE COME AGAIN!"

* * *

The news of the Bladebreakers' match spread all across the world like fire with every newsstand and television stations in every country covering their comeback against the team that defeated them before and almost prevented them from reaching the semi-finals. Even the children of the remote villages in the secluded mountains of Malaysia in South East Asia heard of the news and rejoiced when they emerged victorious.

With electricity generated from the water dam nearby, villagers crowded around the only television in the whole village that belonged to the coffee shop owner and made their bets at the start of the match. Now that the battle was over, winners gleefully collected their money from the losers and drinks were brought to celebrate.

One of the children, having seen the news, ran off to call the newcomer in the village to see the outcome. As the village was small, he soon found the foreigner training with the local martial arts teacher and managed to drag both back to the shop.

"They won! Look! The Bladebreakers won!" he said excitedly, pointing at the television screen.

"My, they certainly did well." the old teacher commented. He glanced up at his student to observe her reaction to the news.

Jade allowed a smile as she stared at her friends and former teammates on the screen. Her smile touched her eyes as the camera closed in on everyone on the Bladebreakers.

"Yes…they did. I am glad for them."

* * *

A/n: Just in case anyone is wondering Malaysia is that piece of land between Thailand and Singapore and also connected to Sumatra. Look it up on Wikipedia. Great place of mixed racial cultures and good food. And definitely not as rural as described in the story. The people of Malaysia do not live in trees and tall skyscrapers and cars do exist there although small villages like the one in the story exists also. I should know. I live there.

Hehe.

R&R!


	13. Retribution and Reunion

I am back from my long term suffering consisting of internship and running a stupid college campaign/assignment. I haven't been catching up with my anime or my writing then but now that's over, hopefully I can focus more on completing this story and Shadows of Destiny.

Of the late, I have felt that my writing style has changed and maybe not many are a fan of this new style (hence the poor response for the previous chappie). Hopefully I can still channel the same passion in Beyblade as I have done before.

Thanks to my loyal reviewers: ikl wings, brezzybrez, ShadowBlade7330, Ice.Phoenix.Love and Faith.

* * *

Chapter 12 – Retribution and Reunion

"Man, I can't wait to see Lee and his team again!" Tyson declared excitedly. "Battling them in the semi-finals will be awesome!"

The Bladebreakers had flown to Rome on Enrique's private jet the day after their victorious match against the Majestics and were currently resting up in the suite of luxurious hotel owned by the Italian blader's family. While they were there, the quarterfinals for the Block D teams were underway in Egypt.

So far, Ray has heard that his former team had made into the quarterfinals even though they did lose their match in the preliminaries round against the same team they were to face in the quarterfinals. But all in all, he was confident that Lee's leadership will not let the team down.

_The White Tigers are stronger even without me_, he thought as he stared out the window of their hotel room. _I am sure we'll be seeing them in the semi-finals…_

"Oh, and what makes you so sure that we are in top form to beat them?" Hilary was yelling at her ignorant classmate. "Don't underestimate your opponents. I say you guys need more training!"

"Come on, Hil. Our next match is two days away. Plenty of time. Oh, goodie! I found chocolate!" Tyson replied.

"TYSON!" Hilary's outrage burst was overlapped by another loud –louder- voice.

"CHOCOLATE? WHERE? GIMME!"

CRASH!

"OW! MAX!"

Ray winced when the sound of collision reached his ears and sighing, he stepped into the living room reluctantly. He came across the sight of his two teammates entangled amongst their own limbs. Regardless of which, Max and Tyson were still grabbing for the last unbroken bar of chocolate lying near Ray's feet.

"It's mine!" Tyson said immaturely.

"Says who?" Max retorted, willing his arm to elongate to reach the bar. "I almost…got it…"

Standing over them with her hands on her hips was Hilary. "You guys are so immature. Honestly, you're like five year olds!"

"Ray…" Tyson wheezed when Max added pressure to his chokehold around his neck. His arms have gone from flailing to twitching. "A little help here, please?"

Shrugging, Ray picked up the chocolate bar and before Max and Tyson's horrified eyes, unwrapped it and started munching on it.

"RAY!"

"OW! STOP KICKING MY RIBS! GET OFF ME, TYSON!"

"YOU GET OFF ME! MY ARM IS UNDER YOU!"

"MAKE ME!"

Ignoring their undignified cries, Ray strolled into the kitchen where he found Kai sipping on a cup of coffee while he read the newspaper.

"Interesting way to stop their squabbling." Kai commented without looking up. He took another sip of his drink.

"Someone had to." Ray said as he shoved the remains of the chocolate into his mouth. "Hilary will probably kill Tyson in due time and I highly doubt Max's sugar rush would die out by then."

"Max found the sweet supply then."

"Yup." Ray said, helping himself to some tea. "Apparently hiding them under Tyson's laundry bag didn't work."

"Hn."

Sipping at the streaming drink and finding it still too hot for his sensitive tongue, Ray settled for blowing at it while he observed his captain. If Kai was aware that he was watching him, he didn't let on and chose to ignore the other teen instead.

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine." was all Kai said as he turned a page.

Ray sighed loudly. "Kai, it's been months since Jade left the team. You're telling me you've already gotten over her? Somehow I seriously doubt that."

"Ray, I am fine." Kai insisted in exasperation. "You should be more worried about our opponents in the semi-finals."

"I am not worried." Ray protested. "I am excited to fight Lee and Mariah and the rest in the stadium! It'll be awesome!"

An odd look crossed Kai's expression as something in the newspaper caught his eye. Noticing the captain's intense concentration on an article, Ray out of curiosity, leaned in to steal a glimpse of what it might be.

"What is it, Kai?"

Kai closed the paper before the other boy could even peek at the title and he sighed. "You're not gonna like this, Ray…"

"What? Let me see."

Crimson orbs directed at him, Kai slid paper to him and as Ray frantically flipped through the pages, explained carefully. "The White Tigers lost their rematch against the British Team in the quarterfinals. We won't be battling them but the England's team instead."

Ray was silent as his eyes skimmed the article. Kai's words pretty much summarized its contents but it didn't make it any easier for him to digest. Lee's team lost. Twice to the same team.

_Lee must be so devastated…_

Now it was Kai who observed the fallen look on his teammate's face. Calmly, he went back to drinking his coffee.

"Looks like we've got something to worry about now."

* * *

"Tyson! Wake up!"

All that responded to Kenny's screams was a muffled sleep-induced mumble. "Yeah, add on the syrup…"

"Tyson…" Kenny groaned. "Come on! Wake up or we'll be late for the tournament! We can't afford to miss this match!"

Max appeared at the door and chuckled at the sight of Kenny on the verge of whacking their still sleeping teammate with a fluffy pillow. "He's still asleep? You better step up your efforts, Chief before Kai takes care of Tyson personally."

"A little help would be nice, Max." Kenny said sourly.

A grin on his face, Max entered the room and leaned in closely to observe Tyson's sleeping state. "Hm…This is gonna take some time."

"We don't have 'some time.'" the smaller boy retorted impatiently. He glanced at his watch and let out a tiny 'eep!' "Oh no! We only have until nine' o clock to check in to the tournament. It's already eight thirty!"

"Not to mention Kai is gonna kill Tyson…" Max muttered thoughtfully. "Tell you what, Chief. You guys take the limo and go ahead first. Tyson and I will catch up as soon as we can."

"How are you gonna get there without the limo?" Kenny asked. "The stadium hasn't that near you know?"

Max disappeared into the bathroom, his voice calling back. "I know. Don't worry. I'll think of something."

Kenny then heard the sound of running water and within a few seconds, steam started to build up from the bathroom. He gulped on the snoring boy's behalf and with a quick glance at his watch, made himself scarce from the room. He wouldn't want to be there when Tyson woke up especially with what Max had in mind.

* * *

Kai, Hilary and Ray were already waiting on the street outside the hotel with a limo parked at the curb. They looked up as Kenny struggled to escape the rotating doors and when he finally managed to break free, he nearly landed face first on the pavement. Fortunately Ray managed to swoop in to grab the stumbling boy before he could and straightened him upright.

"Careful, Chief." Ray said.

"Thanks, Ray." Kenny mumbled, adjusting his coat.

"Where's Tyson?" Hilary demanded, stomping up to them. "Shouldn't he be right behind you? And Max? Where are those two?"

"Max's gonna wake Tyson up. He said to go ahead without them and they'll catch up." Kenny answered. He found himself sputtering under the girl's murderous glare.

"I am gonna kill that boy!" Hilary screeched.

"Relax, Hilary." Ray said with a chuckle. "If I know Tyson, he'll be there."

"You guys coming or would you rather walk there?" Kai interrupted from where he sat comfortably in the limo.

Shaking his head in amusement, Ray started for the limo. Kenny soon followed after while Hilary casted a backward glance of reluctance back at the hotel doors.

"Clock's ticking, Hilary!" Kenny called back. "We need to get to the stadium before nine!"

"Alright already!" Hilary snapped as she climbed into the car.

They got to the stadium in good time although Kenny bolted straight to the registration reception just to be safe. They were waiting for him in the blader's lobby when their opponents arrived. News reporters outside swarmed in on the team of five, cameras flashing as they tried to interview the British team. All they got was regal silence. The door opened to admit them and as it closed, it shut out the noises from outside. The two teams stood in the lobby facing each other.

Hilary's brown eyes narrowed at the way the other team was scrutinizing them especially when they noticed two members missing. She didn't like them instantly. She has heard the British were pompous and spoilt due to their high class upbringing and culture, especially from what she has seen in the movies.

"So you're the famous Bladebreakers." one of the British teens finally spoke kindly with a strong accent. "It's an honour to be able to finally meet you. We have seen so many of your legendary matches. They were astonishing!"

"Um…thanks, I guess." Ray said uncertainly of what to make of their unexpected behaviour.

The boy who spoke held out a hand to the Chinese blader. "I am Trent. These are my teammates; Rose, Tinga, Giles and Will."

"Nice to meet you." Ray said, accepting the gesture. "I am -."

"Ray Kon." a petite brunette, Rose jumped in with a polite smile. "We know. I mean, who doesn't know the four time world champions."

"Speaking of which, where are two more of your members?" the one introduced as Will asked. "Tyson and Max, right?"

"Yeah…" Ray scratched his head as he looked to Kai for help with that question.

"Tyson…kinda overslept." Hilary admitted instead. "But they'll be here! Don't think you'll stand a chance because they are not here now. But they'll be here! I guarantee you that!"

"And you must be Hilary. I've seen you on television. You're very much a part of the team as them. Your support must make an impact on the team's performance out there." the third boy said smoothly. He flashed her a charming grin that had her blushing.

"Now Giles." Trent reprimanded lightly. To the other team, he grinned half-embarrassed. "I am sorry. My teammate here is a bit of a womanizer. My apologies to you, milady. Now, I look forward to meet you in battle. I'll see you later and good luck!"

The British team departed to the registrationn room, greeting a perplexed Kenny as he returned to the lobby to find a confused Ray, a blushing Hilary and indifferent Kai.

"Hey, wasn't that our opponents?" he asked.

"Yup." Ray said. "And they are rather…"

"Charming." Hilary swooned. "I really didn't expect them to be so!"

Kai rolled his eyes and started for their locker room without so much a word, knowing they would follow.

* * *

"Come on, Tyson!" Max called over his shoulder as he sprinted as fast he could down the sidewalk. "If we don't pick up the pace, we could be late!"

"I am trying, Maxie!" his friend wailed back, close at his heel.

Max had finally managed to awoken Tyson after severely drastic measures that were the reasons why Tyson's lucky cap was damp and his eyes and nose were still watering. Apparently chili powder does not have quite the same effect as pepper.

There weren't many people on the streets that morning, probably due to the fact majority of them are in the Rome stadium, excitedly waiting for the match to start.

Max checked his watch and called back again. "We've got half an hour before the match starts. Let's cut across the park to get there faster!"

Tyson didn't really have a say in the matter for he was too exhausted from running from the hotel without any breakfast. Shortly to say, he was starved! And the sooner they reached the stadium, the better.

"Lead the way, Max!" he replied.

Both boys galloped down the stairs to the park, taking two steps at a time and was making good progress down the park path. Already the beystadium was already in sight and they felt fresh new hope blossom in their air-depleted chests.

"We're almost there!" Tyson shouted, more to himself than anyone else.

Max didn't bother to reply for he was too out of breath then. They dashed pass a set of stairs when they heard a scream. Having passed the stairs, Max looked back in time to see Tyson scramble up the steps and grabbed the flailing pregnant woman before she fell. Unfortunately her extra weight proved too much for the boy and they lost their balance all over again. Thinking fast, Tyson made sure his body was under the woman to cushion her and reached out with his other hand to grab the banister for balance.

"Tyson!" Max shouted as he could only watch his best friend fall backwards in slow motion.

* * *

Hilary's restless pacing was not helping Kenny at all. In fact, it made him even more nervous that two of their members have yet to appear and it was already ten minutes before their match was to begin. He tried to occupy himself by tweaking his blade. But even that didn't help because it only served to remind him that if those two didn't turn up, he was to blade in their places.

"Argh! Where are they?" Kenny wailed, startling Ray and Hilary.

Hesitant to approach the smaller boy, Ray tried his luck nevertheless. "Calm down, Chief. I am sure they'll be here."

"When!" Kenny yelped. "It's almost time! And we are still two members less!"

"Maybe Max's having trouble waking Tyson up." Ray suggested thoughtfully.

"Not helping, Ray!" Kenny was on the verge of the tearing his hair out.

"Or maybe…" Hilary suggested with a mischievous grin. "They are late because they had to help out a pregnant lady. Hah! Won't that be the day!"

"Really, Hilary. Now is not the time to be funny." the Chief informed her.

She made a face at him. "No need to bite my head off." she retorted.

Kai looked up as the door flew upon then and Max and Tyson entered the room then. The latter was cradling his wrist while the blonde guided him to the table and sat him down firmly.

"There you guys are!" Kenny exclaimed.

"What took you?" Hilary demanded, facing Tyson with her hands on her hips.

"What happened to your hand?" Ray asked in concern, noting the way he was tenderly holding his left hand.

"I am fine." Tyson insisted.

Max rummaged through the cupboards for the First Aid Kit and returned with an ice bag and a roll of bandage. "Tyson twisted his wrist bad while he was helping a pregnant lady."

Kenny whirled on Hilary and deadpanned. "Oh good one, Hilary. Even they are in it. Tell me. How did you them to agree to this? The swelling even looks real!"

"Hey! I didn't plan this!" the girl protested.

"Yeah, right." the shorter boy said sarcastically.

"Ow! Max! Watch the hand!" Tyson yelped as Max tried to bandage his wrist.

Kenny scowled at him. "Cut the act, Tyson. We only have five minutes to settle our line up for the match."

"I am not acting, Chief!"

Kai walked up to the protesting boy and sharply grabbed his left arm, earning a yelp of pain from Tyson. He quickly pulled back his arm and glared at his captain.

"OW! What the hell, Kai! That hurts!"

"If Tyson's acting, he's one good actor." Kai stated.

Ray frowned then, picking up on what Kai was suggesting. "Tyson, is your hand really injured?"

Grimacing in pain, Tyson nodded. "Yup. But I can still fight. I am alright, guys. I just need to bring down the swelling and I'll be as good as new."

"You can't be injured now! How can you be injured!!" Kenny half-shrieked in horror as the revelation dawned upon him.

"Relax, Kenny. I'll be fine. Those British pompous better watch themselves 'cause I am gonna wipe the stadium clean with their faces!"

"No." Kai said firmly. "If you go into battle with your wrist like that, you might damage it for good."

"Gee, Kai. Thanks." Tyson said sourly. "I didn't know you cared."

"Kai's right, Tyson." Max reprimanded, slapping the ice bag onto the red swell. "You're in no shape to fight this round."

"No way, guys. I am good to go. See!" Tyson grabbed his launcher and blade but the pain shot through his arm, making him drop them with a groan. "Dammit…"

To his surprise, Hilary was the one to pick up the fallen items. "They're right, Tyson. You're in no shape and even if you do go out there with that wrist, you won't stand a chance. You better sit this one out. Just this once. Alright?"

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew his teammates and friends were right and sullenly, he agreed. "Fine. I'll sit this match out. Just this once!"

"Good. Now that's settled…" Ray turned to Kenny. "You think you are up for the next match, Kenny?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" the boy replied reluctantly. He opened his laptop and consulted the data he had. What he found, he did not like. "However, I highly doubt I stand a chance out there especially without a Bitbeast. You have to remember, this is the team that defeated the White Tigers after all."

"Come on, Kenny. Have you already forgotten what Jade told you before she left?" Hilary said encouragingly. "She's placing all her belief and trust in you!"

"That's not what she said!"

"Guys!" Max called out. "So what the plan now?"

"Say, I have an idea. Why don't Max and Ray battle for the doubles match and Kai takes the next round?" Hilary piped in excitedly.

"That's not a bad idea, Hilary." Max said. He glanced over at Ray. "What do you say, Ray ma-man?"

Ray grinned. "I am up for it."

"Then it's settled then." Kai spoke up. "I'll blade in the second match."

"You can't loose, dudes!" Tyson declared.

"Don't worry. We don't intend to." Ray promised boldly. _I will avenge Lee and the others…I'll avenge them and move on into the finals!_

* * *

The cheers of the audience as each blader from each teams were introduced by Jazzman. The atmosphere during an official match. The tension of beybattle in front of the whole world. The adrenaline pumping as all three; blader, Beyblade and Bitbeast became one in the midst of the fight. The knowledge that her victory meant more than just a single person's achievement.

"And taking on Will and Tinga from Great Britain, from the Bladebreakers, may I present to you….Max and Ray!"

She remembered it all too well and it didn't feel as though she left at all. Although, standing in the center of the arena where the four bladers approached the emerging dish was a far different point of view from where she stood now, in the shadows near the back of the audience. A mere ghost spectator.

Jazzman had already begun the countdown and he was joined by the audience. "Ready and 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIPPPPPPP!!"

All four Beyblades flew into the dish on the command of their owners. Almost at once, the two English bladers moved into the attack in hopes of eliminating their opponents fast. The switch in bladers had been unexpected, taking them completely by surprise and throwing off all their tactics and strategies.

"I was expecting to see Tyson in this round. It's a shame I'll not be able to battle him." Will commented lightly as his blade slammed into Draciel. "I was looking forward towards defeating him."

"Sorry, pal." Max smirked as his blade held its ground against the attack. "Looks like you're stuck with me and my partner here and it'll be fun taking you two down. Draciel!"

His bit started to glow and it reciprocated the other blade easily, throwing it close to the edge. Draciel pressed its attack, pinning it to the sides of the stadium. When the opponent tried to break away to circle the dish, Max's green blade gave chase, slamming into it from all sides.

"Darn it!" Will swore. "Tinga, back me up!"

"Having a little trouble of my own here." his partner retorted. Her blade was cornered by Ray's Driger and the white blade refused to let up its relentless attacks. "Come on! Fight back!"

"That's it, Driger!" Ray commanded. "Stay on her!"

"Let's show them how we defeated the White Tigers!" Will roared. "Attack now!"

Without warning, his blade swerved to the side, allowing its pursuer to pass him by and it was he who was attacking Max instead.

"Whoa!" Max was impressed. "Nice move. But not as awesome as this move! Ray!"

Just as easily as Will have gone into the offense against Max, Ray turned his attack on Will instead, abandoning his prey.

"Go, Driger!" Ray shouted.

"Hey! What are you -!" Tinga shouted in surprise.

She made a move to aid her partner but to her shock, Driger had circled the dish with incredible speed and slammed her blade from behind. She found herself boxed in side by side with Will's blade while Driger circled them and forced them back against each other every time they tried to break free.

"Now, Max!" Ray called out to his partner.

"Draciel!" Max shouted. "Tidal Wave Attack!"

As Will and Tinga watched in horror, Draciel rose from its Bit in a majestic glow of green light and it threw its head back to let out a roar. Water rose from the base of the green blade in a wall of liquid that towered over its two opponents like a tidal wave.

"Alright!" Max grinned. "Finish it, Draciel!"

With a roar, the wave came crashing down on the three blades under it. The audiences gasped in anticipation to see Driger trapped under the attack as well but to their surprise, the white blade vanished then before their eyes, leaving their opponent's blades to be completely washed away from the dish by Draciel's attack.

"What the…" Tinga muttered as she stared at hers and Will's blades at their feet. "How…"

She looked back at the dish again and was surprised to see Ray's Driger still spinning steadily next to Max's blade. Reading her look, Ray grinned.

"Speed is Driger's specialty." he explained simply.

"Alright!" Max high-fived his partner's hand. "Nice one, Ray!"

"Max and Ray have defeated the Tinga and Will! The Bladebreakers takes the first match!!" Jazzman announced.

The crowd cheered and she smirked. _What else could be expected of them…? They have come a long way…_

"Next up, from the land of Kings and Queens, hoping to prevent his team from elimination is Trent!"

The boy who has first spoke to the Bladebreakers stood with a determined look as he approached the new dish that emerged from the floor. British fans cheered and egged him on from the stand, waving banners and signs.

Jazzman waited for them to settle down before he continued his introduction. "And his opponent from the Bladebreakers is none other than….Kai!"

If Trent's fanbase had been loud, the screams and cheers that greeted the stoic captain could be heard from miles away. It was understandable though for this match was Kai's first battle since the beginning of the championships. Fans that came to watch today's quarterfinals got their money's worth.

As the dual-haired teen approached the dish and his opponent, her smirk softened into a gentle smile.

_Kai…_

"Well, it's a real honour to be able to battle you, Kai." Trent said as he readied his launcher and blade. "But don't think I am gonna go easy on you just because I respect you."

Kai snorted. "The way I see it, if you respect me so then don't hold back. Give me everything you've got so that it makes beating you all the more sweet."

"I don't intend to hold back and I don't intend to lose as well!" Trent grinned.

"Bladers! Take your positions!" Jazzman yelled. "And 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!!"

Both Beyblades were launched and they met in midair with enough force to sent them recoiling back from the crash. They landed in the dish and started to circle each other before slamming into one another repeatedly.

"Whoa!" Jazzman said excitedly. "Both bladers aren't holding back! Look at them go at it!!"

Not one to draw out a match, Kai summoned forth his Bitbeast before his adversary could even comprehend what he was doing. "Dranzer! Finish him off now! Flame Saber Attack!"

Trent did not even stand a chance against the flames that ignited swiftly from the core of the blue blade. In a blink of an eye, the British's blade was flying through the air, helpless as it was expelled from the stadium. The stadium itself was overwhelmed in the flames from Kai's attack and when it finally dissipated to smoke, the base of the dish had melted. Nevertheless one Beyblade remained spinning steadily in the center of the dish where the plastic has not melted yet.

"That's it, folks!" Jazzman shouted when his eyesight finally recovered from the sudden glare of Dranzer's attack. "Trent's blade had been knocked from the Beystadium within a record breaking time of thirty seconds! The winner for this round is Kai! That means the Bladebreakers moves on into the finals to defend their title against the winner of the next semi-final match. Stay tune, ladies and gentlemen for the afternoon semi-finals match between previous years' runner up, Team Blitzkreig and the underdog newcomer, the Silver Wolves!"

She gently shook her head at the expected results and turned to leave before anyone noticed her. Alone, she walked down the empty hallway until she was on ground level and stopped abruptly. She needn't breathe a word as a presence peeled away from the shadows, making its self known to her.

"That was one impressive match, wasn't it? Ah, but what else is to be expected from _the_ Kai Hiwatari. Am I right…Jade?"

"Faith." Jade replied in a way of greeting.

Standing closer than she thought, the other girl brought the cigarette stick to her lips and inhaled before releasing it with a satisfied sigh. Noticing the disapproval look on Jade's face, she smirked and held out the pack to her. "Cigarette?"

"No thanks." Jade retorted, knowing she was merely teasing her.

Faith chuckled around the cigarette and slipped the pack back into her pocket. She took another drag, giving the other girl a look-over at how much she has changed in the past two months. Her dark hair was shorter but it still cascaded around her shoulders in wild untamed lengths. She appeared to have lost some weight, only to regain lean muscles in replacement. Faith guessed their mentor must have placed his prodigal student through her paces before he eventually accepted her back once again. She knew their old teacher's quirks and habits all too well.

She looked into her old friend's green eyes and was pleased to see the hidden fire blazing within. So very much like the phoenix.

"So it looks you're back. Here to stay this time? Or will you be taking off anytime soon?"

Jade shook her head.

Coffee brown eyes lilted up. "Interesting. So I take that I'll be seeing you in the finals then."

"No."

"No?" Faith cocked an eyebrow and faced her fully. "So why are you back then if you aren't here to take part on the championship? Last I checked the Bladebreakers are still your team….Unless of course, you're interested in switching teams."

Jade ignored the last part and glared at her. "I am not here to take part in the championships. Not even for them and certainly not for you."

"But you want to." Faith added in calmly.

Feeling her anger stir, Jade walked up to her until they were nose to nose. "I have orders from our superior, Faith. Abort your mission now and pull out from the tournament."

"Under what circumstances?" Faith replied.

"Under the circumstances that your appearance in this competition will give away your presence and abilities thus jeopardizes the objective of the mission in the first place."

Clearly amused, Faith smirked and flicked her cigarette aside, regardless of whether it had burned to the tip or not. "Not a chance, J."

"Faith -!"

"Look, Jade." Faith interrupted brusquely. "Your boyfriend and I have some unfinished business to attend to and I for one, intend to keep this date even if you don't."

She didn't stick around to gauge Jade's reaction to her words and turned to leave. Jade stared after her, eyes narrowing.

"You'll have to get through Tala and his team first." she called out.

Her words actually made the other girl pause in her steps but when she glanced over her shoulder back at her, there was a confident smile on her lips. "I know. Where do you think I was headed? I look forward to meeting him."

Watching Faith walk away, down the corridor to prepare for her match, Jade knew nothing she said would get to her. Not at this stage. Not when she was so close to finishing something. Faith always finished what she started and she knew her stubbornness could only be classified as legendary and her skills…even more so.

_I only hope Tala and the others are strong enough to beat her…before she gets to Kai. _

"Jade?"

A familiar voice drew her out of her grim thoughts. She looked up and her eyes widened to see Tyson standing in front of her with a surprised look on his face and a hot dog in his hand. His other hand however was bandaged and she figured that was why he didn't spin for the recent round. If she knew Tyson, nothing short of an injury could keep him away from the dish.

"Tyson…"

Tyson blinked again to make sure he wasn't seeing things and when the image refused to go away, he knew he wasn't going insane.

"Jade…you're back."

* * *

A/n: A review a day keeps the writer's block away! R&R!


	14. Look Who's Back and Out

A/n: Um....hi? (greeted by silence) Hello....? It's me...again. I am not dead. Just recovering from a lack of inspiration. It has been years since Beyblade ended and even though a new series is coming out, no Kai, no inspiration. Bleh.

Thanks to my reviewers who have probably moved on to other stories...

On with the story!

* * *

Chapter 13 – Look Who's Back and Out

Kenny checked the time again and nearly freaked when he realized what time it was. "Hurry up, guys! It's almost time for Tala's match against Faith's team! If we don't hurry, there won't be any good seats left!"

"Calm down, Chief." Hilary said. "I've sent Tyson ahead to save us some seats. Considering he was the world champion, getting us good seats shouldn't be a problem."

"Way to take advantage of his popularity, Hilary." Max complimented.

"I suppose it's fair. After all, we did all the work for this round. It's only fair that Tyson did his part too." Ray joked.

"Nevertheless, if we don't get moving soon, we'll miss the first match." Kai pointed out, straightening.

"Kai's right, you guys. Let's get moving!" Kenny threw open the door…

…Only to crash into Tyson whole-bodily just as the latter was rushing in.

"HEY!"

"OW!"

Max and Ray instantly went over to help them, asking them if they were alright while Kai and Hilary looked on in surprise that their injured member had returned.

"Tyson, I thought I told you to save us some good seats." Hilary said impatiently.

Nursing his head, Tyson climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. "I was. But guess who I ran into."

"Batman!" Max immediately blurted out.

They gave him odd looks and sweatdropped. "Max…"

Someone else appeared at the door, leaning against the frame. An amused chuckle was heard. "Same old Max. Don't you ever change?"

All eyes flew to the door and everyone stared at the person standing there with her arms crossed in front of her nonchalantly.

Hilary's mouth fell open and she blinked once. Twice. Trice. "J-Jade…?"

"Jade!" Max dove straight at their missing member, wrapping his arms around her enthusiastically as he enveloped her in a crushing hug. "You're back! You're back!"

Gasping for air, she had to wiggle her way out of the hug, gently pushing him back. "I am glad to see you too, Maxie."

"Hey, when did you get in?" Kenny asked immediately.

Ray jumped in. "Why didn't you call us? We could have used the extra help earlier!"

"From what I saw, you guys did quite well." Jade said.

"You were watching?" Hilary remarked.

"Yeah…" Jade's eyes darkened as she added. "And so was Faith."

Tyson snorted. "Typical. Trying to check out the competition."

Jade highly doubted Faith was there to see their capabilities but she chose to remain silent instead. From the corner of her eye, she grew aware of a pair of crimson eyes watching her and she looked up at Kai. His eyes were unreadable, emotionless as he gazed at her. Penetrating her.

She wanted to say something to him, needed to say something. Anything to ease the emptiness between them. Yet…nothing came to mind and she found herself looking away.

"So, Jade, what have you found about Faith?" Tyson asked.

Jade shook herself out of her straying thoughts and remembered why she was here. "It seems that whatever she said was true. There is a war coming and your Bitbeasts are the key to prevailing in it. "

"Dammit…" the capped teen cursed.

"What can we do? I mean, we're in the middle of the competition. We can't exactly quit now and I highly doubt Tyson here would let us." Hilary said.

"Damn straight!"

"Then you better be careful." Jade said. "Faith defied our superior's order to step down from the tournament. I've tried to talk her out of it but she's determined to face…you guys in a battle."

Kai was the only one who noticed the hesitant tone in her voice.

"Hang on. You are saying Faith's side is only one side of the war. Who is the other side after our Bitbeasts?" Ray asked.

"That's the problem. They don't know yet who the main backbone of the opposite side is. They have only heard of shifts in their movements but so far, there has been no physical evidence."

"So why can't Faith just go after them instead?" Tyson said. "She should be focusing her energy and insanity on hunting down the enemy! Problem solved! Well, at least for us."

Jade shook her head. "You guys don't know Faith the way I do. She…prefers to act first, think later. She is not the type to sit around and wait for things to happen."

"Gee…she sounds like Tyson." Hilary murmured under her breath.

Tyson glared at her.

"Look, just be very careful around Faith." Jade said with finality. "Seeing as you guys are pretty much the only things between her and your Bitbeasts at the moment, there's no reasoning with her. She is reckless and bashful. And…ironically the Silver Wolves' best blader."

"Hm." Hilary pondered thoughtfully. "Sounds like Tyson too."

"Hilary!"

"What? I am just trying to lighten the mood."

As they broke into another round of bickering, Max and Ray shook their heads at their daily routine while Jade sighed. She wondered if they were truly aware of the danger Faith represented not only to them but to their Bitbeasts as well.

"Don't worry about them."

She glanced alongside Kai, surprised that he actually spoke to her. He did not look at her but she knew he was addressing her.

"That's how they handle this kind of situations. They'll be fine." he told her quietly.

She looked back at the group, her team, her friends. She recalled the trials and battles they faced the previous year as a team and remembered that even then, they never lost themselves, never gave up. Just kept on fighting and fighting. For each other.

A tiny smile at her lips, she agreed with him. "Yeah. I suppose they will be fine."

"Oh right." Kenny suddenly remembered. "Faith's team should be battling Tala's team right about now in the other stadium."

"Tyson! You were supposed to get us seats!" Hilary scolded the world champion.

"Well, I am sorry I was distracted by Jade's sudden appearance!"

"Why are we still here then?" Max perked up. "Let's get going!"

They had just reached the stadium when they heard the audience burst into an ear-splitting roar followed by Jazzman's voice, trying to be heard over the enormous applause and cheers.

"STELLAR HAS DEFEATED ALEXIS OF THE RUSSIAN TEAM! AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE SILVER'S WOLVES TIED THEIR OPPONENT'S SCORE WITH A ONE ALL WIN FOR BOTH TEAMS!"

"Wow. I can't believe Alexis lost…" Max blinked.

Down in the arena, Alexis stared at her Beyblade lying outside the dish while her golden-haired opponent summoned back her Beyblade without so much as a turned her back on her fallen adversary and strolled calmly back to her team where Faith waited with a cold calculative look. Jade noticed her gaze was not on her teammate but rather on Tala.

"Well, considering what happened last year, you have to remember she doesn't have a Bitbeast anymore." Ray said. "The fact that Alexis actually helped her team get into the semi-finals without a Bitbeast just shows how good she really is."

"But I think the fact that she doesn't have a Bitbeast was her disadvantage here. That's why Stellar managed to beat her." Max commented.

"A one all win for both teams." Kenny said thoughtfully. "That means Spencer and Bryan won their match."

"What else is to be expected from those two?" Tyson said easily. "I mean, Spencer and Bryan are two of the best bladers on Tala's team. And they have their Seaborg and Falborg to back them up. I would be surprised if they actually lost!"

Hilary listened to the boys speculate and she turned the other girl to ask for her opinion. "What do you think, Jade?"

For a moment, Jade didn't reply as she focused on the two other bladers seated at the bench behind Faith. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the Japanese-Chinese duo that effortlessly defeated Steven and Eddy of the All Starz in the preliminaries and quarter-finals. Iris and Freya.

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you." she said seriously. "I think Spencer and Bryan got off lucky this time."

"Oh, what makes you say that?" Max asked, having listened in.

Jade beckoned at the former Demolition Boys' bench where Spencer and Bryan sat looking exhausted and worst to wear. "Look at them. It looks like they've been to hell and back. Now look at Iris and Freya."

They did and they were beginning to see what Jade was getting at. While Bryan and Spencer's clothes were torn and dusty, the two girls who were their opponent looked unruffled and unaffected at all. Their clothes weren't wrinkled or tatted the least bit.

"Seems to me they hardly made any effort against Bryan and Spencer and just threw the towel in. The question here is why…"

"I think I know why." Kai said. He nodded his head to where Tala and Faith both faced each other over the beystadium. "She wanted this."

Max and Hilary turned to Jade. "Is that true? Can she even do that?"

Considering his words, Jade nodded to confirm it. She knew Faith. She realized that Faith was completely capable of dictating a match even from outside. Kai was right. She did want this. And Jade knew why.

"She wants to show you what she is capable of." she said staring ahead.

Hilary and Max looked puzzled by that reasoning but when Jade looked at Kai, she knew he understood what she meant.

"BLADERS, ARE YOU READY?" Jazzman shouted, cutting through the spectator's cheers.

In response, Tala snapped Wolborg in place and held out his launcher, ready to go. Amused by his eagerness, Faith pulled out her launcher and fixing her blade in, held it out.

Kenny blinked and adjusted his glasses. "Hey, that's a left handed launcher. I thought Faith's dominant arm was her right arm."

"Wrong. Faith's actually a left-hander." Jade revealed. "Although she has been blading with her right arm all this while, her left arm is more powerful than her right."

The Bladebreakers exchanged looks, all wondering the same thing. Considering the fact that she easily defeated Michael with her right arm launch, how powerful exactly was Faith anyway now that she was bringing out all her ammo?

"READY AND 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!"

"Go, Wolborg!" Tala shouted as he yanked his arm back viciously.

Smirking, Faith grinned as she did the same. Both Beyblades, black and white smashed into each other with an earth scattering impact. The impact vibes could be felt by the bladers, Jazzman and those seated in the front rows of the audience.

"WOW! DID YOU FEEL THAT?" Jazzman shouted excitedly. "BOTH BLADERS ARE GOING ALL OUT TO WIN THIS ONE FOR THEIR TEAMS! JUST LOOK AT THEM!"

Wolborg grinded against the black blade only to have its attacks bouncing back at it with twice the impact. Faith's blade easily repelled its efforts and tackled it with a force enough to send it flying back against the dish walls.

Jazzman was amazed by the sight. "WHOA! FAITH EASILY THROWS TALA'S ATTACK BACK AT HIM! HOW DOES SHE DO THAT?"

"It's her spin." Kenny realized. "Add in her powerful launch and her counter-spin can deflect anything."

Shaken, the frosted blade spun up the walls to absorb the momentum and now wary, it started to circle its opponent.

"Tala better do something before he runs out of steam." Ray muttered.

"Look! He's making his move!" Hilary pointed out.

Sure enough, Tala's blade started to increase in speed as it continued circling the centered blade. The temperature dropped drastically then. Jazzman was surprised to see his breath in front of him.

"Go, Wolborg!" Tala ordered with a feral grin. "NOVAE ROG!"

Ice cold mist started to form in the dish, clouding everyone's clear view of the attack but the sudden chill was felt by everyone this time along with the snarl that seemed to come from the mist. Without warning an Artic wolf, shouldered with ice crystal wings emerged from the white mist and lunged at the black blade. Jaws snapping ferociously Wolborg consumed it, freezing it completely in its movements in a block of ice.

"He did it!" Tyson shouted excitedly. "He stopped her!"

"Come on, Tala!" Max cheered from the sidelines.

Jade allowed herself to hope that Tala's special attack had worked when nothing happened for the next few seconds. Then a familiar grinding of a Beyblade started up through the tense silence and her heart pummeled to the ground.

The block of ice encasing Faith's blade scattered then, startling Tala and everyone watching. The shock on the Russian blader's face was apparent as he stared at the black beyblade that easily shook off his most powerful attack.

"What the?" he gasped.

Faith spoke up tauntingly. "Is that all you've got? You are gonna have to do a whole lot better than that if you want to beat me, Tala!"

Kai stiffened visibly and let out a quiet gasp to see the dark glow emitting from the core of her beyblade. It was the same dark feeling creeping up on him as when he had first battled Faith. The same as the darkness that he has encountered before. Similar to the dark being swirling within him…

Only one noticed his reaction to the presence of Faith's sacred spirit. From the corner of her eye, Jade watched him and her heart ached for him, knowing the painful memories the feeling must stir.

"Saber!" Faith shouted.

It was fast, the dark spirit that leapt from the glowing bit. One moment, Wolborg was standing with its hackles raised. The next, it was on its back, trying to fend off the fangs of another wolf, one that was black as the misty shadows that rose from its entire being.

The Bitbeast Faith commanded rivaled Wolborg in size and viciousness. Its coat was black, shouldered by the element of darkness that was its power. And its eyes…the fiery pits of hell itself.

Kai's eyes widened at the sight of Faith's Bitbeast. He knew she controlled a sacred spirit. He had suspected its core element from the moment he first battled Faith but seeing it in reality easily beating down Tala's powerful sacred spirit, consolidated its existence and the threat it represented not only to his team but to his very sanity and soul.

It lifted a paw and took a swipe at Wolborg's snout. The ice wolf snarled and howled as razor sharp teeth snapped for its throat. It struggled desperately only to find Saber was far too strong. Below, the white blade trembled as it tried to defend itself against the relentless attacks of the black Beyblade.

"Wolborg!" Tala commanded. "Shake her off!"

Wolborg tried, executing complex moves that would have had any other blader puzzled and at a lost. The white blade twisted left and right, circling the dish in its extricate pattern. For a moment there when he broke free, Tala thought he had her.

Pulling back, he regrouped and prepared another attack.

_I have to end this now before it's too late. _

"Wolborg!"

Faith's voice broke in, her tone cold and calm as she gave out the command he had intended to give. "Saber, finish it."

The shadows cloaking her Bitbeast started to twist and turn, growing as though it had a life of its own. Saber's eyes glowed fierce red as the mist of darkness began to shroud the whole dish at a rapid speed. Before Tala knew it, he was trapped in a dome of darkness, seeing nothing but his opponent and their Beyblades only.

"What the hell?" he gasped, stepping back warily.

The emptiness and the quietness only served to bring back suppressed memories of his final match against Tyson in their first World Championships against each other, back when he still willingly served Biovolt.

Ice hackles rising, Wolborg sensed the uneasiness its master felt and growled lowly as it bared its fangs in preparation to attack. Its natural senses were hindered for it felt as though something was blocking them partially and the sensation unnerved it greatly.

When Saber moved, both Tala and Wolborg had no idea but in a blink of an eye, it was behind his Bitbeast and its jaws closed over the cuff of its neck in a choke hold.

Wolborg howled in pain, a sound that was surely to be heard throughout the stadium.

Then as Tala could only watch in horror, the darkness started to close in on the two sacred spirits. It slithered around the white wolf's struggling body and tightened in a vice grip.

Below, his beyblade suffered a similar fate with the shadows wrapping themselves around it and halting its movements.

Finally Wolborg let out a tiny whimper in despair and Tala knew what he had to do for the sake of his beloved spirit. Sensing its master's resignation, the wolf burst into tiny particles and swiftly fell back into its Beyblade which was slowing down with each passing second.

_Wolborg… _

Like a whip, the shadows restricting his blade suddenly lashed out, throwing its captive from its vice grip. Tala could only watch as his beyblade shot past his left eye and landed at the feet of his teammates.

Light once more broke through the darkness as the mist and shadows retreated back into the glowing black beyblade. With a sneer and a snarl, Saber vanished as well, taking with it, every trace of darkness it had expelled in its attack. They were once more back at the stadium and the crowd was cheering for no apparent reason.

Tala blinked as he continued to stare at the spot where Wolborg had been. So shell-shocked was he that he almost failed to hear Jazzman announce the outcome of the match.

"WOW! IN JUST A BLINK OF THE EYE, FAITH HAS TAKEN THE OFFENSE AND ENDED TEAM BRITZKREIG 'S WINNING STREAK TO THE FINALS! THE SILVER WOLVES ADVANCES INTO THE FINALS AGAINST THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS, THE BLADEBREAKERS! "

_A blink of the eye…? No, it had seemed like hours in that last attack. Not mere seconds. It had felt like hours that would never end._

Slowly, he lifted his eyes to his opponent, watching as she calmly summoned back her blade. With a taunting smile and a flick of her hair over a shoulder, Faith turned and headed back to her team.

"What just happened…?" he muttered.

A question asked by many who had witnessed the battle with their own two eyes.

"Dammit! What's up with Tala!?" Tyson gritted out, his hands tightening over the railings until the sharp pain of his injured hand reminded him. "He just stood there and let her beat the crap out him!"

"I don't get it either." Max said. "He just stood there and let her attack him without doing anything. It was like he blacked out or something."

"Or something…" Jade muttered under her breath. She recognized the attack used against Tala and knew how it played to the advantage of Saber's element.

"And did you see that Bitbeast?" Ray admonished. "It was just as big as Wolborg!"

"What was that thing anyway?" Hilary asked, crinkling up her nose. "Was that even a Bitbeast?"

"Well, according to my analysis, it has the readings of a sacred spirit but there seems to be something else as well. Two different readings merged into one." Kenny was already on his laptop. "Both seems rather familiar but I'll have to double check with my past records."

"Then work fast, Chief because the finals are in two days." Tyson said impatiently.

"What do you think, Kai?" Ray turned to the silent captain and was surprised to find him gone. "Kai? Where did he disappear to this time?"

* * *

Tala led his team back to their locker room in silence after their shocking defeat to the Silver Wolves. Fists clenched by his sides, the red-haired captain had no words to say to his friends. His mind kept replaying that mere second where Faith had dragged him into a world of her own creation, of complete darkness and solitude. That mere second that had seemed like hours as he watched helplessly, Wolborg easily overwhelmed by the black wolf.

And just like that, it had been over and he had lost.

He opened the door and came to a halt when he saw who awaited them within. Leaning calmly against the lockers facing the door with his arms crossed in front of him and eyes closed, was Kai.

Inwardly Tala grimaced, realizing he didn't have the stomach to face the phoenix immediately after his loss.

"What are you doing here?" Alexis asked, faltering at the door.

Bryan moved in threateningly, daring him to mock their team for their embarrassing defeat. But Spencer stepped in, pulling the shorter teen back by his shoulder and shook his head at the falcon's questioning glare.

Crimson eyes opened and Kai straightened, unfolding his arms to acknowledge them fully. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Ian said sullenly. "We lost."

"How?"

The question this time was directed at the other captain, so far silent as he took a seat on a bench. Kai watched him, not saying anything until he was ready to speak.

"It was like nothing I have ever faced before." came the quiet response. Tala stared at the ground as he recalled those last moments in his defeat. The darkness that had crept up on him out of nowhere. How it had eerily reminded him of his dark past as a Biovolt soldier. "Not even Rashka came close to what I felt out there."

Alexis inhaled sharply to the taboo name of her demonic Bitbeast that had come close to taking over her life and she stiffened rigidly.

Kai's eyes darkened, remembering that it was Jade who had barely defeated Rashka not once but twice all by herself.

"Rashka was purely demonic. It had a mind of its own and it was driven by its own darkness." Tala said firmly as though he was stressing a point. He looked up and his blue eyes finally locked with crimson orbs. "Faith's Bitbeast is far different. It _is_ darkness and she has perfect control over it."

* * *

"You're the only one who knows what Faith and her team is capable off, Jade! Why the hell are they so damn powerful? What did Faith do to Tala out there?"

Jade remained silent as Tyson stood in front of her, a fierce determined look on his face. The rest of the team lounged about in the living room of their hotel suite having returned from the stadium immediately after the match. Kenny was once again on his laptop while Max and Ray sat in the sofa, watching Tyson interrogate the dark-haired girl. They wanted to step in but knew they needed the information only she could provide them. Kai has yet to return from wherever it was he had gone to.

"Jade, you have to give us something! Anything! You owe us that much." Tyson pressed.

Hilary was alarmed by the distressed look that flickered across Jade's green eyes. "Tyson, maybe you should calm down. Wait for Kai." she suggested.

"No." he said firmly. "Only Jade knows what they are capable of. She can't keep expecting Kai to protect her every time. Jade, you've left this team for a reason. To help us protect our Bitbeasts. And only way you can do that now is to tell us what you know about the Silver Wolves!"

"Tyson!" Hilary gasped; shocked that he would actually resort to making her feel guilty for abandoning the team. She planted herself between the other girl and Tyson firmly and held up a hand to ward him off. "Hold on, Tyson!"

"Hilary…" Jade said softly, resting a hand on Hilary's shoulder. "It's okay. I can handle this."

"Jade…" Hilary muttered but she relented nevertheless, stepping back.

Jade paced a bit as she tried to gather her thoughts and form them into cohesive words. There was too much at stake here, she reasoned.

The door opened to admit Kai. Everyone looked up as he closed the door behind him and frowned at the group that gathered in the living room instead of training.

"You're just in time, Kai." Tyson said in a manner of greeting. "Jade is about to spill all the Silver Wolves' deepest and darkest secrets."

She pursed her lips to the crudeness of his words but she chose to ignore it this time as she came to stand in the centre of the room.

"When Faith and her team were twelve years old, they had undergone a ritual of some sort. One that ties them to their sacred spirit for life. It's a test that all warriors and bladers of the Silver Wolves clan have to go through to prove their worth and potential. In order to fulfill this ritual, a…sacrifice is required." her hands clenched at this point.

"What sort of sacrifice?" Ray asked.

"The blader's life."

Max gasped softly. "What? But how is that possible?"

"By taking one's life, the person is surrendering all to their sacred spirit. If the Bitbeast deems them worthy to be its master, it would fuse its life force with that of the person, renewing it with its own. That person is reborn, having achieved a spiritual fusion with their sacred spirit." she explained solemnly.

Tyson snapped his fingers, recalling something. "Like what happened with you and Draizer during your match against Alexis last year."

"No." she shook her head. "What I've achieved then was a physical fusion when my body became one with that of my Bitbeast. During then, it was I who was channeling my strength to Draizer. However a spiritual fusion is a two way flow of power between blader and Bitbeast and therefore it's more powerful than a physical fusion."

"At what cost?"

Surprised by the quiet question, Jade looked up at Kai. He watched her intently, ardent to hear her answer. Their eyes locked momentarily and something flickered between them, something that caused her to look away uneasily.

She drew in a deep breath to alleviate the sudden pressure that rested over her heart just from his look alone. The others mistook her silence to speak then as reluctance to tell them the answer. Unfortunately that only drew their curiosity further.

"Well?" Tyson demanded impatiently.

"If Faith's sacred spirit was to perish in battle…" she began quietly. "…so will she."

It took several long seconds for the implication to sink in and register to their minds. Hilary gasped softly as her eyes grew wide in horror. The boys' reactions varied from revulsion to shock.

"What?" Tyson whispered in disbelief.

Grimly, Jade nodded in confirmation. "That's the price she has to pay. In other words, she has more to lose than anyone else in a Beybattle. That's her motivation and that of her team. It's crucial that you understand this before you face her in the finals."

"Damn…" Ray muttered. "I knew they were crazy but I didn't know they were _this _crazy!"

"Then why are you guys still loitering around here for?" Kenny snapped frantically. "We need to start training and pronto!"

"Calm down, Kenny." Tyson said, holding out his hands to ward off the smaller boy.

Kenny had already started pacing, deep in thought. "Dizzi and I will analyze the Silver Wolves' battle again and try to pinpoint their weaknesses. At the meantime, you guys should start focusing on your stamina and endurance."

Max and Ray exchanged weary expressions and sighed simultaneously while Tyson tried to deter the Chief from forming the idea of a two day crash course training camp for them. Hilary was trying to prevent them from breaking into an argument while Kai was silent, probably still trying to digest the shocking revelation.

Realizing no one was paying attention to her for the first time since her return, Jade took the opportunity to slip out of the suite, to get some space and solitude to think. She hated herself for doing what she had just done. By revealing the Silver Wolves' secret, she felt as though she had just betrayed them. But what about the Bladebreakers? They were her team and first and foremost, her friends. She couldn't just let Faith get away with stealing their Bitbeasts.

_I gave her the choice to step back and be the better person, _she thought. She pressed the lift button and watched as the numbers above the door flickered from the ground floor. _And she chose otherwise. I tried. _

The two words running through her head like a mantra, she did not hear or notice the presence of a second person as he came up to her.

"I spoke to Tala."

Her eyes widened in surprise to hear his voice so close behind her and even more so by the fact he had followed her. Stomping down on her mixed emotions if not conflicted ones and composing herself, Jade turned around to face stale-haired boy. "Tala? So that's where you disappeared to. I should have known."

"He told me what happened during his match against Faith." Kai said. "That attack she used on him…that was an example of her power, wasn't it? She wanted to show me what she was capable of. By defeating Tala that easily."

Unable to lie to his face and feeling suddenly tired from trying to defend both sides, Jade merely nodded.

Kai glanced aside, his bangs shadowing his eyes and rendering him unreadable to her. "I see."

Seeing his state, knowing what it was like to watch someone as powerful as Tala fall to another, she wanted to comfort him. Wanted to encourage him to not give up. But she couldn't. No words came to her so she remained silent although within her, her heart cried for him.

Kai was deep in thought as pieces of his conversation with Tala echoed in his mind before clicking with the secret Jade had just imparted to the team. For her to have told them something so secreted and unknown to the outside world…what will it cost her or has it already?

_Jade…_

Until then, he had not understood the extent of the sacrifices she has made to aid them but suddenly he did. Crimson eyes looked at the girl before him, observing her as she stared down at the ground. She looked so weary and drained emotionally and physically. Seeing her now without her mask of smiles on, Kai wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and promise her that he would always protect her.

He took an unnoticeable step towards her only to have her move away as the lift arrived then with soft 'ping!' to announce its arrival.

The doors slide open and she stepped in before turning around to smile back at him. "I'll see you and the others later."

Kai could only stare in surprise as her mask was slipped back on effortlessly. When the doors began to shut, he moved. His palm rested against the side of the sliding door, he pushed it back to prevent it from closing.

Now it was Jade's turn to look at him in surprise.

Kai realized he could not say what he wanted to say then in fear he could end up pushing her away instead. His mind raced and thankfully he found something else to ask her.

"During my first fight with Faith back in Japan, she said she had a personal score to settle with me. What does she mean by that?"

Hesitation flickered in her green eyes but it faded away to resignation. "All I know is you've once defeated someone similar to her. Someone just like her."

That answer did not help him the least bit and he scowled. "I've beaten a lot of people in the past."

She smiled that Mona Lisa smile of hers. "I know."

"So it's for revenge then." he surmised.

To his surprise, she shook her head. "No. It's not revenge. It's to prove something."

"Prove something…?" unwittedly, Kai removed his hand from the door.

She nodded even as the doors started to close between them. "Yeah. So just what are you going to do about that, Kai?"

Kai could not reply for the door closed shut then and he knew when if he were to reply then, nothing would come from his mouth.

What was he going to do indeed…?

* * *

A/n: No comment. Just read and review! ....Please?


	15. In the Face of Psychosis

A/n: Hello, my lovelies. I am back with another update after so so long. I've been hit by inspiration, not forgetting the beacon of superior hotness that is Kai Hiwatari. Seriously, for some reason, no other anime character has mastered hotness the way he has. Either way, enjoy! Btw, thanks to all my loyal readers who have kept emailing me (coughthreatened mecough) to continue my stories.

So don't forget to review at the end ya!

* * *

Chapter 14 – In the Face of Psychosis

Hilary sat on the river slope, silently observing the harsh regime Kenny and Dizzi had constructed from the information he had collected from their opponents' matches and from what Jade had told them about the Silver Wolves. The Chief had spent their entire flight back to Japan observing and going over the data and statistics he could gather and managed to finalize a substantial workout plan for the team. After he explained the plan to her, Kenny had crashed literally and left the training sequence in her hands.

It was only a day away from the finals match of the World Championships that was to be taken place in Japan itself and Hilary realized it must be vital that the Bladebreakers win if they were to actually ask Tala and his team for help.

_Actually_, she reminded herself. _It wouldn't exactly be asking for help if Tala and his team volunteered to help. _

The Russian team had shown up at the airport just as they were leaving Rome and announced that they were coming as well whether the Bladebreakers liked it or not.

Recalling their previous encounters with the other team, she wasn't exactly fond of the Blitzkreig Team but Hilary suspected it was Jade's idea to begin with. So she said nothing. Furthermore Kai had conceded to the notion knowing their experience against Faith's team would be valuable in helping them prepare for their upcoming battle.

At the moment, Kai was engaged in a rather intense match against Tala, his attention focused completely on his blade. Both blue and grey beyblades lunged at each other, moving for the kill and missing by inches. Jade stood nearby, her eyes on the beyblades although Hilary could not help but notice she wasn't paying much attention at all.

A short distance away, two beyblades went for a white one spinning alone in the open ground by the river bank. Ray gave out a hurried command to have Driger dodge at the combined assault. Despite his speed, he only managed to evade Alexis's blade before Ian closed in fast and attacked him fast and hard.

"Still too slow, Ray." the shorter Russian reprimanded him impatiently. "Come on. I can beat you with one arm tied behind my back!"

Alexis rolled her eyes to his comment and promptly initiated the next attack. Ian followed her lead as Ray took their advice to heart and concentrated harder to dodge and evade both beyblades.

Hilary's attention wandered back to the match she had been watching and sighed, knowing sooner or later, there might be a bloodshed amongst these four bladers involved in the doubles training.

"That's pathetic, Tyson!" Bryan snarled as his blade swiped the white beyblade clean from the dish. "You must be joking if you think you can win with those half-assed moves!"

Max and Spencer, caught in the middle of their own duel in the same dish, paused to watch Tyson as they waited for him to deny viciously and loudly. But to their surprise, Tyson merely picked up his blade and loaded it back into its launcher.

"I am sorry." he muttered. "I'll try better next time. Let's go again, guys."

"You're running out of 'next time', kid." Spencer reminded him as he and Max both summoned back their beyblades. "You and Max need to work together, not playing solo in the same dish."

Cautiously, Max slid a concern look at Tyson's wrist. "How's the hand, man?"

Tyson gave him an easy grin. "It's as good as new! Check out my rip!"

Bryan scoffed but said nothing as he called back his blade and clicked it back into place. As the countdown began again, Max couldn't help but watch his best friend from the corner of his eye.

And was intrigued by the thoughtful look that crossed the dragon's face.

* * *

"Hey, Kai. Can we talk?"

Kai halted in his steps to glance over his shoulder at Tyson. Ray stood behind the Japanese boy and Kai couldn't help but notice the discontented look on his face. The three teens stood in the open hallway outside Tyson's dojo just after lunch.

They had another ten minutes before their training started up again and Tyson knew he had to make his point heard and understood.

Indicating they had his attention, Kai nodded for Tyson to speak.

Never one to beat around the bush, Tyson blurted out what he had to say. "I want to blade in the first round of singles."

To this, an eyebrow was raised and Kai glanced at Ray again, silently enquiring his opinion.

Ray sighed. "Like I told him when he asked me, it's kinda late to be switching the lineup but you know Tyson…"

Quiet for a while, Kai mauled the thought over and over in his head and it took him less than a minute to come to his decision. "Well, Kenny won't be happy. But I supposed it can't be helped. Fine. You can blade for singles."

"Oh, yes!" Tyson pumped his fists excitedly. "Alright! Thanks, Kai!"

"But." Kai was swift to interrupt his happy dance. "Bare in mind, I am only letting you do this on one condition. You must not lose."

"I don't intend to, Kai." Tyson promised. "You have my word on that."

"Good. I am holding you to it." Kai said. "Ray, you okay with this?"

Ray shrugged and nodded. "Yeah. Alexis and Ian has been working double moves on me all day. I can manage. Better tell Max though of the change in plans."

"Not the Chief though!" Tyson said quickly. "Kenny will kill me if he finds out about the last minute change."

"He won't do that, because that would mean he would have to blade instead." Kai reminded him sarcastically as he walked away in search of Tala and perhaps at a subconscious level, Jade as well.

* * *

"GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS TO THE FINALS OF THE BEYBLADING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!"

It was not even ten and already the beystadium was packed the following day with enthusiastic and hardcore fans, simply waiting for their favorite teams to appear. To appease the ever growing crowd, Jazzman kept them entertained while they waited for the two teams to take center stage in the wide beydish in the middle of the arena.

"FIRST OF ALL, LET ME WELCOME ALL YOU BEYBLADE FANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO JAPAN FOR WHAT IS WITHOUT DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST UNEXPECTED MATCHES IN BEYBLADE HISTORY!"

The roar of the crowds vibrated and rumbled all the way down to the waiting room where the Bladebreakers were checking and fine-tuning their blades for the last time.

Kenny as usual, hovered over his precious laptop, consulting his data for one last time for any errors and abnormalities he might have missed.

When the inaudible mutterings started up, Hilary shot Tyson a meaningful glare and nodded towards the boy. Her indication was clear enough and with a sigh, Tyson padded over to Kenny.

"Chief, would you relax?" he admonished, thumping the smaller boy over his back. "Everything will turn out okay."

The brunette's head reluctantly nodded although he did shoot a glare at Tyson in retribution for the minor heart attack he and Ray had given him the previous night when they informed him about the change in plans.

"ALRIGHT! CAN WE HAVE OUR TEAM FOR TODAY'S FINAL MATCH!"

Ray stood up. "That's our clue, guys." he announced. "Let's go win this."

"Right." Max agreed. "And remember what Jade told us. All of us need to win this."

Her words still rang clear in their minds since the previous night as they were going through their final practice session.

"_Even through this tournament may be a best out of three matches, all of you have to win your matches." she said solemnly. "You are only going to get one shot at this. You're not just blading to defend your title but also your Bitbeasts. You have to prove your worth as Guardians of your sacred spirits and the only way you can do that is to win. Because anything other than a win would mean a Bitbeast."_

A memory neither of the Bladebreakers knew they could go through again. They've all experienced losing their Bitbeasts before and they knew what it had felt like.

* * *

As she watched her friends; her former team entered the arena, Jade could only hope their past memories of loosing their Bitbeasts would be able to provide the motivation and strength they needed to win this tournament.

"Calm down."

Jade glanced at the red-headed Russian standing alongside her. While the rest of the team had taken seats, Tala chose to accompany her in the shadowed upper area of the audience stands. Now he grasped the moment to hold her gaze, conveying his emotions through his icy blue orbs.

"We've done all we can to prepare them. You've done all you can to help them." he said. "Now it's up to them."

"I know…" she muttered, eyes straying back to the centre where Jazzman was announcing the bladers for the first match.

Max and Ray were approaching the big smooth beystadium, facing their opponents from the Silver Wolves. Iris and Freya seemed unfazed by the change in their opponent's doubles and Jade sighed.

She had hoped the last minute switch would have rattled them even the slightest but she supposed having seen Ray and Max blade together in the semifinals earlier, Faith would have considered the possibility of Max and Ray partnering up again.

_Heck, I would too if I was in her place and I certainly would prepare my teammates for whatever doubles pairing my opponent could come up with…_

Sometimes, it scared her how alike she and Faith were. However she also knew her insight on Faith's thinking pattern might be able to help the Bladebreakers win this.

"Tala, how long did it take Bryan and Spencer to beat Iris and Freya?" she asked.

He frowned in thought. "Close to three minutes, I think. Even then it was pretty tough match. Why do you ask?"

"Because the All Starz took a much longer time and they lost too in the end." she said. "I have a feeling this match might take quite a while."

"Hn." Tala nodded, understanding her point. "Well, I guess all we can do now is to just have fai-," promptly, he cut off his own sentence, thinking of another way to reword his thoughts. "We just have to believe in Kai and that bunch he calls his team."

His near-careless choice of words almost made her chuckle in amusement and she couldn't help but wonder if he had met Faith under different circumstances.

Jazzman's sudden yell ajared her from her random thoughts and drew her back to the match that was about to start.

"AND READY! 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIIIIIIIIPPPPPP!"

Beyblades were released and they landed in the dish simultaneously, craftily circling each other as the bladers gauged their opponents.

Something flashed through Iris's eyes and her beyblade was on the move, striking Ray from all sides. The neko-jin balked at the sudden on-slaughter and braced himself when she pulled back to gather her next attack. She rushed in only to have her royal purple beyblade forcedly pushed back by Draciel.

Iris growled her displeasure at the interference.

"Go, Draciel!" Max shouted, commanding his blade forward.

With a sudden burst of power, the green beyblade lunged forward, barreling past their opponent's two blades in a flash. As he had anticipated, they went after him and Ray moved in from behind, effectively boxing them in.

The Chinese girl glanced at her partner who responded with a nod.

And just like that, the tide changed. One moment, Driger was in hot pursue of the purple and red beyblades and the next moment, the red one had accelerated, caught up effortlessly with Max and in a red flash, passed him.

Before either boy could comprehend what had just happened, Iris's blade executed a near-impossible reverse turn and readily collided into Driger head-on. Unable to check his momentum, Driger slammed into the purple blade and was tackled from the other side by Freya's beyblade.

Ray bit back a groan as he felt his spirit's distress from the twin attack. The attack had been close to halting his spin altogether but fortunately, Driger held on.

Draciel was left spinning alone and realizing their head-on attack on his partner, Max doubled back and commanded it to defend the tiger. As Draciel closed in, they pulled away and resumed circling the white and green blades.

"You okay, Ray? How you holding up?" Max asked, glancing worriedly at his teammate.

Ray managed a nod although he was already panting slightly from the blows that resonated from his blade through his body. "I'll be okay. But what the heck was that?"

As though in answer to his question, Freya spoke up. "You're not the only one in the beyblading world that specializes in speed, Ray. Let's just say my Fenris could outrun your Driger any day."

Ray bristled. "Oh, yeah? We'll see about that. Driger! Attack!"

Moving in a rapid motion, Driger lunged at the red beyblade with pure momentum powering it forward. Only to have the attack dodged at the last instant. As Driger speeded past Freya's blade, Iris moved in from behind in a blink of an eye.

"What the hell?" Ray gasped.

Catching him off-guard with his own momentum unchecked, she slammed into him from behind and backed off just as Max entered the fray to prevent Driger from being knocking out of the stadium. Draciel barely got there in time to block its partner from careening over the edge and even then, the unexpected attack and the rescue attempt had weakened Driger tremendously.

"This is not good!" Kenny groaned, his hands in his hair.

"What's going on? What are they doing?" Tyson growled out in frustration. "Come on, Ray! Attack them!"

"That's not the problem, Tyson." the Chief informed him. "Ray's trying his best to attack them but it seems both Freya and Iris can both alternate in attack moves. Ray can't pinpoint the next attack."

"What about Max? Can't he do anything, Chief?" Hilary asked.

"Like I said, they can't identify the direction of the next attack and who it's coming from. And Max can just as easily be targeted." Kenny said. "If this keeps up, we'll lose the first match and they'll lose Draciel and Driger!"

Alarmed by Kenny's panic statement, Tyson and Hilary started cheering and rooting for their teammates with more enthusiasm that was fueled by desperation and urgency. Tuning them out automatically, Kai remained silent as he watched Ray and Max as well as their opponents intently. His sharp mind had already deciphered their opponents' plan, having observed their blades' movements since the start of the match but he wondered if his teammates saw what he saw.

Then he caught the shared look between the two boys and he allowed himself to breath easier.

"Ready, Ray?" Max muttered under his breath.

The tiger nodded, a glint in his amber eyes. "Yup." he threw forth a hand as he summoned his sacred spirit. "DRIGER, GO!"

As the center of the beyblade glowed white, its spin increased as all of Driger's power was channeled into its core. It kicked up a cloud of dust from the base as its tip burrowed into the dish, the sound of its increasingly powerful rotation rising with each moment.

Iris sneered. "Calling your kitty cat already? How predictable! Tsume, stop him!"

Her purple blade rose up the slope of the dish and took advantage of the gradient to gain momentum as it travelled straight at Driger.

And just as easily as Freya had done it to him, Ray's beyblade evaded the attack. Iris gasped as her blade sailed past him and before she could right herself, Max collided into her from the side. The force sent the purple blade bouncing off the side of the dish and it managed to land within the confines of the dish although wobbly.

Ray took advantage of her weakness and moved in only to have Freya knocking him back from her partner. To her surprise, Draciel swooped in for the side and began rapidly attacking her Fenris.

"Forget about me?" Max grinned.

"What?" the Chinese girl cried out as she endured her beyblade's beating bodily and spiritually. Every time, the green beyblade scraped and hit Fenris, she harbored a pained cry at her lips.

"TSUME!" Iris shouted.

Radiating a violet light from its core piece, the purple blade moved into attack Draciel from behind. A sudden hit from the side out of no where sent Iris's blade spinning off course and it ricocheted off Fenris instead.

"Nice try." Ray said as Driger slowed to position itself directly in front of her blade. "And you were saying something about me being predictable?"

She feigned a move right and doubled back the other way. For a brief moment, she thought she had breached Driger's defenses. But the short exhilaration was dashed the moment she felt the razor sharp attack ring of the tiger clipped Tsume.

She flinched as a sharp numbing pain raced up her arm. "Since when were you so good at defense?" she sneered at him as her blade attempted the same move again.

Ray smiled easily as Driger blocked again. "A good defense is a good offense. Right, Max?"

"That's what I always say!" the blonde boy agreed readily. "And a good offense is a good defense! Time to finish this! DRACIEL! VIPER WALL"

Working as a team once more, both beyblades of the Bladebreakers pulled back simultaneously and began circling their opponent's trapped blades in the middle. Draciel's perfect defense created an impenetrable circle around them as it rode Driger's slipstream from behind to add to its speed without compromising its steadiness. Little by little, the circle shrunk until there wasn't room for the girls to maneuver and forced them close to each other, blades hitting and grinding each other.

Iris's eyes grew wide as Freya let out a helpless shriek. "No! Fenris!"

"It's all you, Ray!" Max suddenly said as Draciel pulled back.

"TIGER CLAW NOW!" Ray shouted.

What happened next occurred very fast. There was a flash of white gold light and the roar of a jungle cat that echoed through the entire stadium and rattled the ceilings. One blink and the next instant, the slashed up pieces of two blades; red and purple scattered at the feet of their stunned owners. The only parts that had survived the attack were their Bitbeast chips whereas the rest of their beyblades rested outside the beystadium in hundreds of pieces.

There was a moment of cold silence as everyone stared at the sheer swiftness to the end of the match.

Doing his job right, none other than Jazzman broke the silence with a loud boom. "AND IT'S OVER, FOLKS! MAX AND RAY HAS ONCE MORE PROVEN THEIR TEAMWORK UNBEATABLE! THE BLADEBREAKERS TAKES THE FIRST POINT AND IS ONLY ONE MATCH AWAY FROM THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!"

"Way to go, Ray and Max!" Tyson said as they returned to the benches with relieved smiles on their faces. "Awesome job out there!"

"And the way you guys switched tactics and bladng styles out there was so cool! Iris and Freya never knew what hit them!" Hilary gushed, her brown eyes wide with exhilaration.

Max chuckled modestly, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess one of the perks of being the team for so long is that you know your teammate like the back of your hand."

"Nice offense, Max." Ray said, grinning faintly.

"Alright." Kenny announced, adjusting his necktie to allow himself to breath easier. "That just leaves you, Tyson to win this for us."

"No problem." Tyson said with a confident smile. "You can count on me for this one."

"Tyson."

All eyes went to the only person who has yet to speak so far. Until now. Tyson stared at Kai, remembering his promise.

"Don't worry, Kai. I won't lose." he said firmly and headed out, his shoulders drawn back.

"AND NEXT UP, ON BEHALF OF THE BLADEBREAKERS, MAY I PRESENT TYSON GRANGER!" Jazzman hollered.

His response was a combination of cheers, swoons and excited shouts that almost shook the roofs off the stadium as Tyson stepped forward. He greeted his fans with his hand held high above his head with Dragoon wrapped securely in his fingers.

"Got to hand it to Tyson." Tala said under his breath as he leaned against the railing from his perch. "He sure knows how to work up the crowd."

Jade silently agreed. "Tyson wouldn't be Tyson if he didn't."

A stolen glance at Faith's side of the benches granted her a non-concerned look on the other dark-haired girl's face even at the loss of the first match for her team. That was reason for a twinge of worry to pass though her.

"AND HIS OPPONENT FOR THE FIRST SINGLES MATCH FROM THE SILVER WOLVES, THE LOVELY STELLAR!

Jade couldn't help but notice the subtle change in the air about Tala when the petite blonde was introduced. Sliding a curious glance in his direction, she caught the narrowed wry glare as he watched Tyson's opponent walk up the short steps to the dish and recalled that this girl had been the one to defeat Alexis so easily in the semi-finals. From where she stood, she caught a glimpse of magenta eyes, shoulder length wavy golden locks, porcelain skin and a light blue sundress.

All in all, the girl looked younger than them as she curiously tilted her head and giggled softly at Tyson's antics. Yet observing her, Jade couldn't help shake the feeling there was more to this girl than it seemed.

"Tyson better be careful with that one." Tala muttered. "Alexis did mentioned she was kinda unhinged."

"As in Bryan unhinged or worst?" Jade couldn't help but ask.

"Worst." his upper lip curled into a snarl. "Much worst."

Now, the twinge of worry and concern had grown in her stomach as the effect of Tala's words and clear distain was making her nauseated. She prayed for the whole team and especially Kai, that he may not have the opportunity to face Faith across the Beystadium.

_God, please let Tyson win this…He has to. _

"BLADERS, READY!" Jazzman rose both hands in anticipation as both bladers automatically went through the motions of preparing to launch without taking their eyes off each other and their respective Beyblades. "AND 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!

Instantly, two Beyblades; one white and the other turquoise, were unleashed into the opposite ends of the dish. Dragoon moved in fast, not allowing its opponent time to react as it ruthlessly tackled the other with precise hits.

"That's right, Dragoon!" Tyson said, his excitement mirrored on his face as it was in his voice. "That's the way! Don't give her a chance to attack!"

Dragoon heeded his command, maintaining its attacks whilst all the girl's blade did was take in every blow, hit for hit. She barely flinched from the assault, her eyes ever curious and childlike as she watched the spinning tops.

Her lips parted into a smile, a very dangerous smile. "KIBA! Destroy him!"

Dark blue light started to spill from her bit chip, seemingly spreading through the Beyblade and causing its spin to rapidly increase.

"Whoa…" Tyson muttered in disbelief that she would summon her sacred spirit out so early in a match.

Before he knew what happened, her blade was a blur, attacking so fast he could not follow its movements. But he could definitely feel it reasoning through Dragoon and he felt every bite and lance of pain flooding the dragon as through the beast was making quick work of its hide.

"What the heck?" he gasped when he realized his attack ring was chipping, dangerously loosing its sharp edges. He knew he had to retaliate and fast. "DRAGOON! FIGHT BACK!"

With a furious roar, the blue dragon rose from its core as its razor sharp claws flexed and glimmered. Its eyes quickly narrowed on the source of its torment and it reared its head back and went for the offending Beyblade. Stellar's magenta eyes flashed briefly.

"Shit!" Tala cursed as it dawned upon him what was going to happen.

Jade soon saw the cause of the other wolf wielder's distress when the other blade dodged Dragoon's snapping jaws and pounced on it from behind. A white form materialized from the attacking blade, fangs digging into the dragon's hide. Dragoon bellowed and began trashing about, its claws ripping at the beast clinging on to it.

Tyson's eyes widened at the sudden turn of events. "What the?! Dragoon!"

Dragoon body-slammed the wolf to the ground in an attempt to dislodge it. To their surprise, the creature disappeared in a sudden gust of wind and Dragoon was left crashing into the ground, lifting a cloud of dust and debris. The wolf rematerialized again on the other side of the arena, unharmed.

"Dragoon!" Tyson shouted in concern. "You okay?"

A low growl sounded from the disgruntled dragon as it shook off the impact. It snapped its jaws at the smaller spirit. Both spirit and blader seemed to share the same question.

"What the hell was that?"

The wolf, holding an eerie resemblance to Tala's own Wolborg bared its fangs at them and snarled, salivating as it did. Unfazed by the sheer ferocity of it, Stellar reached out and ran a hand through its glossy fur. She smiled but it wasn't a pleasant sight to behold.

"Kiba, was he mean to you?" she muttered softly, her eyes taking on a dreamy look.

The wolf growled in response, eyes flashing demonically. As though enraged by the answer, a dark look crossed her pretty features. "Then do as you please with him!"

"Crap." was all Tyson managed before he summoned Dragoon into motion to fend off his opponent's sudden violent attacks.

The ground of the stadium began to crack and break under the raw spiritual pressure of Stellar's sacred spirit. Dragoon had a hard time finding bearing on the uneven surface while it dodged and weaved, trying to find an opening in her unpredictable movements.

"Finish it!" Stellar shouted.

"Go for it, Dragoon!" Tyson ordered.

Both blades met in the center and a loud explosion occurred from the stadium, casting the blades and their bladers from plain sight with the amount of dust and smoke that rose up.

Up in the stand, Tala stiffened, visibly wincing from the vibration that resonating through the stadium beneath their feet. Jade leaned in over the railing, hoping to have a better glimpse of what happened.

"Come on, Tyson…" she muttered under her breath, clasping her hands together tightly.

Low mutters could be heard all over the stadium as the audience waited and wondered in curious anticipation on the outcome of that explosive attack. Almost in slow agony, the smoke parted revealing a charred crater where the beydish once was and no beyblade in sight.

However the sound of spinning blades soon drew all eyes to the sides of the destroyed dish.

A confused frown furrowed Stellar's pretty face as she stared at the white blade spinning at Tyson's feet as hers did close to her. Tyson grinned.

"Unbelievable! Both bladers had survived that massive attack that has left us with no beystadium and are still going strong!" Jazzman shouted in amazement. He pressed his hand to his earpiece, pausing for a while before continuing. "Bladers, the organizers have just informed me that they would like to replace the dish. So if you would call back for a relaunch–WHOA!"

It seemed that neither Stellar nor Tyson took heed of what Jazzman just said as their beyblades raced along the broken edge of the stadium and clashed against each other with brutal ferocity.

The grin on Tyson's face widened. "Sweet attack, Stellar. You're pretty good for a girl although your Bitbeast is kinda creepy."

She giggled, her magenta sparking in delight. "Kiba's harmless once you get to know him."

"Harmless?" Tyson scoffed, eyeing the salivating wolf and its protruding fangs. "Maybe I'll see it when my Dragoon takes 'em down."

A dangerous glint shadowed her eyes and she smiled sweetly. "We shall see. Kiba, Whiplash Howling!"

The dark mist about the wolf sprang to life, curling and circling as it sprang forward with a maddened howl. Dragoon reacted with an equally powerful roar, its wind flaring around it in a cyclone and moved at once. Its long body spiraling to dodge the snapping jaws, it lashed out with its claws and met only thin air. Kiba materialized behind Dragoon and moved in to strike. The dragon's tail however whipped out, catching it across the nose and throwing it off-balance.

Stellar winced and cried out a little when she felt the blow. Her cheek stung and she reached up to touch it attentively. Her hand came away with blood. Her eyes widened and tremors shook her body.

"Red…blood…blood…death."

"Heh. I got you now. Dragoon!" Tyson shouted in encouragement.

Without warning, a scream erupted from the girl standing across him. "NO! I don't want to die! Kiba, save me! Don't let them hurt me!"

As though reacting to its mistress's distress and terror, the white wolf launched into a frenzy, tackling Dragoon to the ground. Its mist rose up and became a whirlwind of razor. Slash marks became visible over Dragoon's hide despite its struggles to break free.

"What…?" watching in horror, Tyson grunted in pain when he found himself caught in the attack that seemed to sweep across the arena between the bladers. The arm he held up to shield his face soon was lacerated with red marks.

"Tyson!" Max and Ray shouted in concern upon seeing the injuries on their friend.

Tyson's only concern was for his sacred spirit who seemed to be taking the blunt of the attack. "Dragoon! Hang in there!"

Dragoon fought back, ripping at the wolf's belly with its claws until the redness of blood cloaked the white fur.

Stellar collapsed to her knees with a terrified gasp. Her hands cradled her head as she stared unseeingly at the red droplets appearing like tears of blood at her feet. Her lips moved.

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die."

"Stellar!" Tyson shouted from across the stadium. "Stellar! Snap out of it!"

She curled deeper into herself, clamping her hands over her ears as she began rocking back and forth.

Dragoon finally managed to throw the savage wolf off it and its tail slashed out, wrapping itself around the furry neck, risking an attack from the mist before it slammed Kiba to the ground.

Tyson took the opportunity to leave his platform and sprinted over to the cowering girl.

Kiba snarled and ignored Dragoon, attacking the boy instead.

"Tyson, watch out!" Hilary screamed in horror as the wolf came down on him.

"I can't watch!" Kenny squeaked, ducking behind his laptop.

The rest of the Bladebreakers were on their feet when Tyson was struck, rolling with the attack. Miraculously, he came away with only three bleeding slashes across his cheek. Dragoon bodyslammed the wolf none too gently, holding it down.

"Great job, Dragoon! Keep it pin!" Tyson panted as his focus went back to his target. "Stellar! Look at me!"

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die! I won't hurt you! Dragoon won't hurt you!" he called out, approaching her cautiously. Stellar, look at me."

Slowly, she unraveled and wide pink eyes stared back at him.

"See. I am hurt too but I am not going to die." he pointed at his three marks with a smile. "I am fine and you'll be too. I promise."

"Stellar…won't…die?" she whispered uncertainly.

"Nope. Beyblading is just a game. People aren't supposed to die from it…" Tyson said quietly. "Stellar, you'll be fine."

She looked up at him, into the certainty and confidence in his eyes and saw only the truth. "Not for Stellar. Blading…is my life. Kiba is my life."

Even as she spoke seriously, her eyes turned to where the blades were still in motion, gaining and losing ground in turn.

"Stellar…" Tyson reached out and touched her arm in a gesture of comfort.

"I can't lose." she told him.

"Neither can I." he replied easily. "I made a promise to a friend."

Her eyes downcasted, she mumbled. "I am sorry."

"Don't be." Tyson said. "Let's just give it all we've got."

She smiled, the first real smile unhindered by madness or childlike curiosity since the fight started. "Okay…"

Above them, the Bitbeasts reared back and lunged at each other in one final attack. Their blades mimicked their moves, wind and mist intertwined with each other and collided in a rush of smoke and mist that blocked everyone's sights once more and the outcome uncertain.

* * *

A/N: Okay. In case it escaped some of you, Stellar was inspired (taken?) from Gundam Seed Destiny. I love her and all her insanity. Cried when she died (o.o rythms) I don't own her though.... if I did, she wouldn't die so easily. Then again, if I'd own Kai...hehe...

R&R!!


	16. Interlude: Author's Speech

A holler back from the dead:

Eh-hum, hi?

*crickets chirping.*

...So one year and a half...I'll be amazed if anyone reviews this story after so long. As to why I've dropped off the face of the earth, I could tell you that work got in the way, that I had no inspiration, that my interests changed (briefly) or that I was hit by an epiphany that changed how I viewed the people around me and myself. But none of that matters because I am back (and hopefully here to stay till I complete my stories)

Wolves Reign is half way though and I am still hunting down my scribbles and notes for Shadows of Destiny. So please bare with me as I try to get my writing mojo back. I've been watching the old series again to familiarise myself with characters again and for inspiration and it worked!

But before I start posting up my chapters, I think I owe it to you, my loyal readers (if there are any left) to summarise the story for you so that you don't have to reread the story again, unless you want to. And while you're reading this, I'll give myself a head start and churn out three chapters so that you won't kill me before the next update.

So in true TV series style, previously on Wolves Reign:

"The Bladebreakers find their Bitbeasts in danger again when they're challenged by a mysterious blader, Faith whose team, the Silver Wolves are more dangerous and ruthless than their former enemy-turned- ally, the Saint Shields ever were. Speaking of the Saint Shields, they are back with a warning that a supernatural war is brewing and that the Bladebreakers' Bitbeasts are the key to it. To her team's surprise, Jade reveals that she and Faith were once friends and trained under the same mentor after she escaped Biovolt. To protect her team, Jade ends her relationship with Kai and leaves the Bladebreakers right before the championships in order to find out more details and to appeal to her former mentor and Faith's superior.

Meanwhile, the Bladebreakers make it all the way to the finals, not without a few challenges along the way that included losing to the Majestics. They also witness, to their surprise, the defeat of the All Stars and the Blitzkreig team to the Silver Wolves. Then just before the finals, Jade returns with orders with their superior for Faith to abort the mission and the championships. Faith disregards the order in favour of facing Kai in battle.

With little choice, Jade reluctantly shares information on Faith's team with the Bladebreakers. She reveals that the Silver Wolves' spiritual connection to their sacred spirits gives them the edge but could also mean their lives if their Bitbeasts are destroyed. She also stresses that the Bladebreakers cannot afford to lose as well, knowing that a lost will mean a Bitbeast.

In the finals, Max and Ray defeats the Silver Wolves' Iris and Freya in the double's match taking the first win for the Bladebreakers. Next up is Tyson who faces the mentally unstable but just as deadly Stellar. As the battle progresses, Stellar teeters close to the edge of a breakdown and it's up to Tyson and Dragoon to bring her back from the edge without risking the match at the same time."

This is just the Cliff notes version to bring you up to speed on chapter 15. I hope you'll bear with me for a couple more days while I fine-tune the next chapter of Wolves' Reign. I solemnly swear I'll update within a week. Scout's honours.

Then again I never was in Scouts so that probably doesn't mean much. But I swear! At the mean time, would appreciate it if any existing readers out there could give me a shout out of encouragement or jeers –up to you - to let me know you still exist and that I am not writing for a ghost audience.

Ta-ta.


	17. Escalating Shadows

A/n: Dare I say it? Why, yes I do. I AM BACK BITCHES!

After a one year and a half hiatus, I've finally made my return to the fanfiction writing scene. Because at the end of the day, I am really really love Beyblade for it's one of the first few animes that got me into writing and thus holds a special place in my dark and twisted heart.

I want to thank my kind reviewers who have so patiently waited for me without chanting voodoo spells and hunting me down. I've summerised basically the entire story up to the cliffhanger where I left off in the previous update under my author's speech to keep you up to date.

To new readers, welcome! Just be informed it's a must to read Blue Wolf before reading Wolves' Reign and Shadows of Destiny due to the presence of my OC. Thanks to E l o w for highlighting this in a review.

Without further ado, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 15 – Escalating Shadows

Stellar stared, somewhat grounded by the hand on her shoulder as the smoke slowly drifted apart. She could almost feel her life ebbing from her as it was told that once her bitbeast fell in battle, so would she. She looked at Tyson and saw not a look of triumph on his face but of exhilaration.

"WOW!" Jazzman shouted when the smoke cleared at last. "NOW WE DID NOT EXPECT THIS OUTCOME! IT'S FINALLY OVER, PEOPLE! THE MATCH HAS ENDED IN A DRAW! BOTH BLADES HAVE STOPPED SPINNING AT THE SAME TIME. THIS MEANS WE'LL SOON BE SEEING AN EPIC BATTLE BETWEEN CAPTAINS!"

Sure enough, when Stellar glanced back at where the blades had met in battle, both laid on their sides. Both were in worst state but their Bits still intact. Tyson went to retrieve the beyblades and held hers out to her.

"That was an awesome fight, Stellar." Tyson said with a grin.

"But no one won." she said in confusion.

"Yeah but still, you really laid some heavy fire power on Dragoon and I back there." he replied. "I am actually feeling woozy from the blood lost."

"Thank you, Tyson." she smiled as two medical personnel came up to them to check on them and their injuries.

"It's to the hospital for you two." one of the paramedics announced. "You kids really know how to trash things up including yourselves!"

"But I want to stay for the next round!" Tyson protested. "Kai's up next!"

"And you can watch the replay on TV later. Now come on." the adult insisted. "I'll give you a lollipop in the ambulance."

That got Tyson to reconsider his decision. "Okay but just give me a sec."

Without waiting to hear the paramedic's response, Tyson limped painfully over to his team who waited close by for the verdict.

"How're you feeling, Tyson?" Hilary asked in concern.

"I feel great but the doc thinks I need to go to the ER." Tyson said. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Great fight, Tyson. Too bad both your blades ran out at the same time." Max said sympathetically.

"You held your own, Tyson. Good job." Ray said, clapping his hand over his back in congratulations.

"Thanks." Tyson said and finally came face to face with Kai. "Hey, man. I am sorry I broke our promise."

"You didn't." Kai corrected him. "You didn't lose after all."

To Tyson, that meant more than any half-hearted congratulations the other had given him in past battles. "Thanks, Kai and all the best. I would say good luck but you probably won't need it."

"One can only hope so." Kai muttered as he stared at the last and final member of the Silver Wolves who have yet to battle.

Jade watched as Tyson and Stellar were guided from the arena to be taken to the hospital and the beystadium was replaced promptly.

"That was a half-assed attempt for Tyson." Tala sneered. "I expected him to do better."

"Well, he did pull Stellar back from the brink of insanity at the risk of his own wellbeing and Dragoon. Give him credit for that." Jade said.

Tala snorted and fell silent when Jazzman announced the bladers for the next match between captains. Kai and Faith approached the newly-replaced stadium, beyblades and launchers at the ready.

"HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO HAVE TO GRAND FINALE TO PLAY OUT!" Jazzman shouted. "LOCKED IN A DEATH MATCH TO CLINCH THE VICTORY FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS IS KAI FROM THE BLADEBREAKERS AND FAITH FROM THE SILVER WOLVES!"

"So Kai, heard you and Jade have pretty much hit the rocks with your 'relationship'." Faith began deceptively conversationally. "So why don't you just throw in the towel now and I'll let you buy me a drink? And who knows if you play your cards right, you don't be waking up alone in the morning."

Kai ignored the way she smiled coyly at him and the taunting tone in her words as he replied coolly. "I am afraid I would have to decline. Slutty and desperate aren't really my type."

"Ouch." Faith grinned. "That hurts. You really do know your way to a girl's heart. Big mystery how Jade managed to put up with you. That girl isn't known for her tolerance of fools."

"Something you learnt from experience I presume." he replied.

"Oh you're so funny." she sneered, raising her launcher at the ready.

"Oh, no. She's using her left arm. I can't watch." Kenny squeaked.

"Geez. Get a grip on yourself, Chief." Hilary admonished when he gripped her arm a little too tight for her liking.

"Bladers, ready! And 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!" Jazzman shouted.

With a grunt, Kai let Dranzer loose into the dish, narrowly dodging Faith's blade as she launched it to target his. Her attack left a crack in the ground, indicating the force and power behind its spin. One can only wonder at the damage done had it connected. Immediately, Dranzer began to swerve and move in a zigzag motion as Saber gave chase. Eyes following the moving blades, Kai made his move.

"Volcano Emission!" he ordered.

Dranzer ignited into flames and the heat scorched and destroyed the flat smooth surface of the stadium. Affected by the uneven ground, Saber shuddered and wavered as its spin slowed to the average speed.

"Smart." Faith observed. "Using the stadium to slow down my Saber. I think this is going to be quite an interesting match. I have a proposition for you."

Kai said nothing although his eyes were on her.

"Winner takes all." she announced. "The championship title and your bitbeasts. I win. I get yours and your teammates' sacred spirits. You win, I'll be out of your hair. What say you? I think it adds an interesting twist. Don't you think so, Hiwatari?"

Silence raided the stadium then upon Faith's bold challenge save for the spinning beyblades. Surely Kai would not consider throwing away all his teammates' efforts to win or tie their previous matches. One would almost see the Bladebreakers holding their breath as they awaited their captain's decision.

Then a slow smirk made its way across his face. "It does sound interesting. Fine. I accept."

"What!" Kenny all but shrieked, leaping to his feet. "What does he think he's doing?"

"That-that's just so selfish!" Hilary sputtered. "Kai, don't! Think of the sacrifice Tyson went through to get us into the finals!"

Max cleared his throat. "You mean, the sacrifices all of us went through to get us here."

She flushed when she realized what she just said. "Um. Yeah! Max and Ray too!"

"Calm down, Hilary." Ray admonished. "I am sure Kai knows what he's doing. You just got to trust him."

"A little hard to do, considering his history." Kenny muttered bitterly.

"I trust him." Max said easily. "I know he won't put our bitbeasts on the line unless he knows he can beat her."

_He can beat her….he has too….  
__  
_"Alright!" Faith grinned. "Knew you were fun. Saber, attack!"

Dranzer dodged the attack and this time retaliated viciously, slamming the other blade into the wall before it drew back. Saber did not allow it moment to breathe as it shook off the impact and returned the favour. In a matter of seconds, the stadium was left in debris and craters. Both bladers were beginning to feel the strain of each other's attacks and the effort it took to keep their concentration on the game.

"Enough playing." Faith muttered, her eyes taking on a dark glimmer. "Saber!"

And instantly that dark familiar presence flooded the stadium, invading Kai's space as his eyes widened ever so slightly.

It made him sick to the core, a shiver running down his spine as the dark mist took form above the stadium. His hands curled into fists as he mentally and physically braced himself for the on-slaughter of attacks.

_This is it then…Calling out all the stocks. _

"Dranzer!" he shouted, calling forth his own Bitbeast into the fight.

Faith smirked in anticipation as the phoenix took flight, its wings beating mightily. Her whole life had revolved around preparing for this battle, to defeat a Sacred Spirit. If she were to lose today….she refused to even let that thought cross her mind.

Winning was everything.

"Go, Saber!" she ordered. "Attack!"

On its mistress's command, Saber lunged for the phoenix's throat, its razor teeth missing by millimeters as Dranzer took flight. Its claws slashed out at the wolf as flames erupted around the battling spirits. With incredible speed, Saber leapt back to avoid the flickering fire and gave a feral snarl. Black smoke escaped its jaws, putting out the fire in no time.

"You are going to have to do a lot better than that to beat me, Kai." Faith said as she watched the blue blade skid past hers to break away from her attack. "Haven't you been paying attention? Saber's power is darkness and no fire or light can diminish it. Not even that of the legendary Dranzer."

Familiar words. As told to him by Tala after his own defeat.

_"Faith's Bitbeast is far different. It __is__ darkness and she has perfect control over it…"_

Kai's eyes narrowed into a glare as he refused to allow her words to get to him. "Dranzer, attack!" he ordered.

Evading the spider-like cracks in the ground, both blades went at each other with a vengeance.

The head-on impact of both blades caused a massive explosion that threw up debris and rocks and forced both fighters to shield themselves as they waited for the dust to settle.

Up in the audience, Jade and Tala held their breaths as they awaited, just like everyone else, for the outcome of that collision. Uttering a curse under his breath, Tala leaned forward on the railing as a familiar sound reached his ears.

"It's not over yet." he said grimly.

Sure enough, it was the sound of two Beyblades still spinning strongly that first made apparent that the match was far from over. Gradually the dust cleared and to everyone's surprise, Dranzer and Saber had indeed survived the clash, spinning steadily on opposite sides of the dish.

"WHOA! WILL YOU CHECK THAT OUT!" Jazzman shouted into the microphone excitedly. "EVEN AFTER THAT MASSIVE TAKE DOWN, BOTH KAI AND FAITH'S BEYBLADES ARE STILL GOING STRONG! SADLY THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID FOR THE BATTLE FIELD!"

Both blades raced around the edges of the wrecked ground of the stadium and continued to push and attack at each other. Sparks flew as Saber began to retaliate, driving Dranzer dangerously close to the edge.

"Oh, no. If he falls, it's over!" Kenny gasped.

Hilary let out a muffled squeak. "I can't watch!"

"Come on, Kai!" Max called out from the bench. "Fight back!"

Ray said nothing, his hands clenching tightly as he watched intensely.

The only indication that the strain of fending off Faith's relentless attacks was getting to him was the sweat that beaded Kai's temple as he held his ground. His eyes shadowed by his bangs saw not the battle before him but instead the first time he had gone up against Faith back in Japan.

_"You and me, we have a personal score to settle."_

"_All I know is you've once defeated someone similar to her. Someone just like her." Jade had said enigmatically. "….It's not revenge. It's to prove something."_

He had gone through the puzzle of Faith's vendetta against him over and over again in his mind and only now did it begin to click.

_Darkness…_

There was only one other blader he had ever faced that wielded darkness in battle. He had won that match in the end and just barely and not without a price.

_I understand now…_

Faith was taken back when a smirk lifted her opponent's lips after several minutes of nothing but half-hearted attempts to dodge her attacks.

"Has the strain of the battle finally driven you insane?" she asked. "What's so funny, hot stuff?"

"You." he responded. "I understand now what makes you tick."

"Really now? Enlighten me then." she replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

He held out two fingers to her and folded each digit with each word uttered. "Brooklyn. Kingston."

Amusement lilted up her eyes. "Ah. I see you've finally figured it out."

"So is that it then?" he demanded, anger rushing up within him like a volcano. "All this just so you can prove that you're the strongest blader to control darkness?"

For a long moment, there was no response from the dark-haired American and Kai was sure he had nailed it right over the head. Faith saw him as her only worth opponent because he had been the first person to take down Brooklyn and his King of Darkness. The one to beat darkness.

"You're wrong." she finally answered, looking up to meet his stare. And for the first time since the battle started, her coffee eyes were hardened and serious. "I just wanted to beat you. SABER! FINISH IT!"

As everyone watched in awe and horror, the darkness that cloaked the wolf sprang to life, darting outwards like a curtain drawn. The shadows ate away at Dranzer's flames, her light dimming rapidly as the shroud consumed the phoenix. She struggled, her cries echoing across the emptiness black dome that separated the battle from the world.

"Dammit!" Tala snarled, remembering the special move that had defeated him. "Kai's trapped! What is he doing? Why isn't he fighting back?"

Hearing her companion but not really listening, Jade's grip on the railing tightened as she kept her eyes on the black sphere that had swallowed up both teens and their blades.

_Come on, Kai…You can do this. I know you can. _

Within the sphere of utter darkness, Kai paid no heed to his surroundings. His eyes were closed and his hands were clenched at his sides, helping to ease the panic and worry out of his body. His breathing was slightly erratic, reminded of a time he had sunk into the very darkness that entrapped him now. Surrounding, choking and drawing the life out of him.

Back then, his friends had pulled him back from the brink, showing him that he wasn't alone. Back then, _she_ had been there in person and in spirit. Clinging on to those memories, he breathed easier.

_Remain calm, master. _

_Dranzer…._

Allowing his Bitbeast to spread her warmth within him, Kai concentrated, taking his years of training and simply just focused on finding the enemy. All he could hear were their Beyblades whirling. Dranzer had fallen silent too.

"What's the matter, Kai?" Faith taunted, crossing her arms in front of her. "Given up? Then maybe I should end it."

There was no reply from the slate-haired blader and she took it as her cue. "Alright then! SABER!"

He caught the vicious snarl from the black oblivion to Dranzer's right and eyes snapped open then with an order. "Dranzer, BLAZING GIG now!"

Red and blue flames surged around the fire bird as her wings beat against the ground, taking flight just as the wolf exploded from the shadows, fangs just barely missing Dranzer's tail. A shriek escaped the phoenix as the flames rose up, chasing away the darkness of the dome and returning them to reality.

Immediately the roar and cheers of the crowd scattered the silence and echoed through the stadium, egging the combatants on. Jazzman was shouting in the background about an unexpected turn in the battle.

"What the fuck?" Faith gasped, stepping back automatically from the sudden heat of the mystical fire.

"You underestimated me, Faith." Kai said, drawing her attention away from the soaring Bitbeast and back to him. "You're not the only one who is blading with their life on the line. I know what it's like to fight, not only for my life, but for everyone who is depending on me." Not when his teammates' Bitbeasts were at stake. Not when Max, Ray and Tyson have given their all to see him to this point. "We're more alike than you realise, Faith. Like you, darkness will always be a part of me."

_Black Dranzer will always be a part of me. I know and accept that._

"But unlike you, I don't hide behind it." he continued, his eyes blazing. "I won't lose this battle."

_I can't lose no matter what. Not when Dranzer, my friends…Jade are counting on me. _

"Hm." Faith smiled, recovering from her initial surprise. "As inspiring as your little speech is Kai, I am afraid I am going to have to burst your bubble. There'll only be one outcome in this fight and that will be me emerging as the winner of this fight. And when that happens, it's bye-bye Bitbeasts."

"I am not afraid of you, Faith. So bring it. Give me your best shot." he retorted, meeting her taunting gaze.

She grinned. "Gladly. Saber, attack!"

"Dranzer!"

Darkness and fire met in midair as both snarling Bitbeasts attacked each other in a fury of claws and fangs. The force from their attacks beat down on their bladers, tearing at clothing and skin. Yet Kai gritted his teeth, willing his mind and body to ignore the pain. Dranzer's eagle-like shriek filled the air.

Sparks flew in all direction as the Beyblades slammed into each other over and over again, trying to find ground whilst evading the loose energy from the collision of Bitbeasts above them. Dranzer swerved left and right to shake off the black blade's rapid attacks, its defense ring chipping away.

_Just hang in there, Dranzer. Just a little more…_

"Saber, go!" Faith shouted, her body steadily enduring the pain shared with her Bitbeast. Although there were no visible marks, pain flared up every time her blade was struck, forcing her to bit back gasps and groans. This was what she had been trained to do and it would be a cold day in hell if her opponent got the better of her.

Her blade pulled back, the engine gear in it kicking into action with the flare of power from its blader. In response to her command, Saber's hackles rose, shadows pooling around it and making it seem it bigger in size as it prepared to lunge.

Kai saw his chance then and flung an arm forth, throwing his all into his final attack. "DRANZER! BLAZING GIG TEMPEST!"

Flames ignited from the base of the blade, creating a whirlpool of blue fire that roared upwards, driving away the inky shadows that spilled from the other blade. Both blades met in the center of the destroyed dish, completely tearing it apart as a sudden explosion of smoke, dust and debris was thrown outward, clouding everybody's view from the outcome of the battle.

"OH MAN! DID YA ALL SEE THAT? THAT WAS ONE WICKED ATTACK! WHO WILL EMERGE THE WINNER AND CLAIM THE CHAMPIONSHIP!"

The one million dollar question as posed by Jazzman.

It was pin-drop silence in the stadium as everyone waited anxiously for the dust to settle. For some divine reason, the smoke parted at an agonizingly slow pace, stalling the outcome further.

Panting hard, Kai kept his eyes on the dish, the sound of a Beyblade still spinning reaching his keen hearing. Across, Faith was in a similar state of exhaustion, her hands clenched into tight fists. Her eyes narrowed but the rest of her face remained unreadable as very slowly, the dust parted.

And there it was. The outcome of their hard, enduring battle.

It was clear that in the end, one blade had lost its powers just seconds before the other. Rested on its side with its attack ring in pieces around it like broken shards was Saber. Then spinning unsteadily next to it was Dranzer, the glow from the Bit fading.

"DRANZER IS STILL SPINNING! KAI WINS! WITH THAT, KAI HAS CLENCHED THE VICTORY FOR THE BLADEBREAKERS!"

On cue with Jazzman's announcement, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, many rising from their seats in a standing ovation for the winners. Confetti, god knows where they came from, fluttered down from the ceilings in a rain of colour.

"THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! FOR THE FIFTH TIME RUNNING, THE BLADEBREAKERS ARE THE WORLD BEYBLADE CHAMPIONS!"

It took all of Kai's willpower to just not crumble to his knees from sheer relief and exhaustion right there and then. The last attack had taken more out of him than it seemed and even then, he knew it could have gone either way. Faith was strong, mentally and spiritually in tune with Saber. He had been fighting both her and her Bitbeast in that last clash of power. But Dranzer had thrown every last ounce of her power into taking down the dark wolf for his sake. So that he would never have to experience the darkness of losing her again...

It's over...at last.

Summoning back his blade, Kai glanced over at his defeated opponent as she retrieved her blade from the construction site that was the Beystadium which held a massive crack down the middle now courtesy of that last attack. Faith was staring at Saber's near wreck blade with an almost thoughtful look.

She didn't look angry, disappointed or upset. It wasn't like the nonchalant look, taunting smirk or teasing amusement that often lilted her face in the little times he had confronted her. The look on her face was...emotionless.

"Kai, you did it!" Max shouted as the team, recovering from their surprise started for the dish.

His eyes did not stray from the girl when she finally looked up at him and to his surprise, shrugged.

"So you've beaten me, Kai." she said, her voice levelled enough for just the two of them. "Good for you but don't think this is over. Soon you'll understand that I was the lesser of two evils and that you should have handed your Bitbeasts over then you had the chance. Because what's coming for you and your little friends, it's almost here and you can't stop it from taking your sacred spirits when it does. Don't say I didn't warn you."

And with that, she turned to rejoin Iris and Freya who had risen to their feet in silent resignation. Kai could only follow her with his eyes before he was dive-bombed by Max and Hilary who at the moment, couldn't careless about his need for personal space and touching.

"Alright, Kai! I knew you could do it!"

"Really, Hilary? Because you said – OW!"

"Shut up, Kenny!"

"You almost gave us a scare there, Kai."

Kai couldn't help but flinch when Max's voice came close to damaging his hearing. Exhaustion and weariness was at last setting in and his body would have given out if a calm voice had interrupted the bear-hug.

"Guys, ease up on him, will you?" Ray said, smiling as he remained a close but respectable distance. Max and Hilary eased themselves of their captain with guilty looks, muttering sorry's. The tiger tsked, shaking his head in amusement before turning to his captain. "Good fight, man."

Kai just looked at him with gratitude. "Thanks."

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS! OUR WORLD CHAMPIONS, THE BLADEBREAKERS!"

* * *

Even as she travelled further and further from the main arena down the darken hallways to their waiting room, she could still hear the DJ's voice and the crowd's claps and cheers once more for the team that defeated hers. No one gave a second thought to the runner up, despite how close they have come being the underdogs and that was how she preferred it. In time, no one will even remember the Silver Wolves and the consequence of her actions.

"Faith."

That voice made her stiffen and the other two behind her halt completely in their steps. Iris let out a muffled squeak upon catching glimpse of the old man with a walking stick that stood in the hallway, clearly waiting for them.

"That was…quite a match. You girls fought well." he said, his tone light.

"Shifu…" Freya muttered in surprise.

The old man beckoned with a tilt of his head. "A word or two if you will."

He did not wait for them to response as he turned and headed to the roof, knowing they would follow. His cane tapped against the ground, echoing through the stairway as Faith followed from behind, her head held up high even though she knew what was to come. The roof top was empty seeing as everyone was in the arena. Her teacher and master stood before them, staring at the sunset without really seeing it. The three girls waited patiently in a row for him to speak. And when he did at last, his voice was stern.

"You disobeyed my direct order to abort the mission, Faith. On top of that, you wielded Saber in battle with a personal motive despite everything I have taught you. As team leader, I am holding you responsible."

"Yes, sir…" Faith muttered, staring at her teacher, awaiting her fate and punishment. What he said was true. She had led her team into the tournament. She ignored the order to pull out just so she could face the slate-haired teen in battle. Now that she has and had lost fair and square, she would gladly take any punishment that befell her.

"As your punishment, Faith, you are to remain here in Japan to protect the Bladebreakers and their sacred spirits."

She blinked.

Of all things, she certainly did not expect that. She expected Saber to be taken from her, the separation from her spirit would have been torturous. She expected to be exiled from the team.

But not this.

To stay and watch over the very team she had mocked and who had beaten her. That would also mean she would be seeing a lot more of Kai. As the realisation sunk in, she started to smirk. "Yes, sir."

"Good." her old eccentric teacher nodded before turning his unseeing gaze to his right. "Is there anything else you would like to add?"

A figure detached itself from the shadows then, having listened enough to the exchange between student and teacher. Moving to stand facing her teacher and Faith, Jade looked at her, arms crossed in front of her.

"Well, are you satisfied now?" she asked, referring to the outcome of the battle between her and Kai.

And to that, Faith smiled.

* * *

A/n: Okay, so confession time. I had a bit of trouble trying to write the fight between Faith and Kai so forgive me if it seemed a little choppy and rushed. I know, I am appalled at myself too. Believe me. I re-read it and rewrote it many time and it just didn't seem to come out right. I am chalking it up to rustiness and hopefully I'll improve as I move along again.

So like a nagging old hag, I have this to say before I depart for a week. (I promise, a week!) REVIEW!


	18. Random Pandom Sandom

A/N: Hahahaha. I am back! As promised to my reviewers whom I love and cherish dearly (I kid you not!), here is the next chapter! It's more of a filler chapter, I admit but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! And...don't ask me about the chapter title. I was high on coffee and don't feel like changing it because I feel it's exactly what this chapter is.

Special hugs and kisses to those who reviewed: BlackPage, ruler of dragons, chibi Setsuna-chan, lilsilverphoenix and introvert.

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Random Pandom Sandom **

"Ah…" a loud inhale of air. "This is the life…."

"Oh, goodness' sake, Tyson. Put a shirt on!"

"But Hilaaaaryyyyyyy, it's the beach! I wanna show off ma sweet pecs, man!"

"More like sweet-induced flabs."

"Hah! You're just jealous because I am in such great shape while you look like a muffin squeezed into a – OW!"

Max and Ray gave their teammate sympathetic looks as he nursed a bump on the back of his head, thanks to the slipper the girl had flung at him. However they were smart enough to never insult a girl a bathing suit. Woe poor Tyson for letting his mouth get ahead of him.

On the bright side, now that the World championship tournament had ended, Mr. Dickenson had so generously surprised all the teams with an all-expenses paid trip to a seaside resort for the weekend.

"After ending the championships with such a bang, you deserved it!" he had said, beaming.

Hilary suspected he merely wanted to get them away from BBA for a few days so that he could fix the totalled stadium before the whole lot of them wrecked it further.

But regardless of his ulterior motives, Hilary was glad for the break. The Bladebreakers needed it considering all the crap they've been through in the past few months. After the final ended, there was no word or sight of the Silver Wolves. It was as though they had vanished and ceased to exist to the blading world.

_Good riddance,_ she thought as she watched Tyson and Max break into a sprint for the crashing sea, dragging poor Kenny with them. Ray wandered to where the White Tigers had set up camp with their umbrellas and benches to bask in the sun.

Smiling, Hilary recalled their first impression of the beach, this being their first time to one. Ray explained that having lived in the mountains of China, they never got the chance to see a beach up-close.

Right now, Kevin had managed to bury Gary up to his head in sand while Lee and Mariah watched in amusement and wariness less the younger member decided to drown Gary. Upon noticing Ray approaching them, Mariah turned to greet him and instantly bristle when the dark-haired neko-jin was instantly swarmed by doting fans.

The triumphant cry erupted from the tennis courts nearby where a crowd had gathered to watch a tennis match in session. And not just any tennis match. One that was being played out by four renowned bladers.

On one end of the court were Emily and Johnny who had teamed up against Jade and Oliver on the other side for a mixed doubles match. Emily had instigated the match after learning from Kenny that Jade too knew how to play tennis. Somewhere along the way, Johnny and Oliver had volunteered themselves as partners, hence the on-going match. Enrique opted to be the umpire so that he could watch the match from the comforts of the umpire's covered-chair.

Hilary was sure that the rest of the All Stars were around the resort somewhere. All that was needed to complete the group were the Blitzreig team but unsurprisingly, Tala and gang had decided to fly back to Russia instead, citing allergy to the sand. Hilary had scoffed at the excuse. Speaking of elusive Russians, Kai has been missing in action since arrival and so was Robert. She wasn't worried about those two but she was concerned about Jade and Kai.

For as long as she had known them as a couple, Jade always roomed with Kai. But for this trip, Jade decided to bunk with Hilary instead with no excuse given which was odd. She made a mental note to talk to the other girl later. Now she was just going to take this opportunity to sit back and relax for once.

"OH, COOL! A HOT DOG EATING COMPETITION! HEY, MAX! LET'S TAKE PART!"

The again…maybe not.

* * *

"Aw, come on, Ray…"

Ray gave his friend an apologetic smile, shrugging. "Sorry, man. But I already promised Mariah that I would take her out tonight. What about Max?"

Tyson pouted, clutching his prize for finishing 30 hot dogs in half an hour. "Maxie's already having dinner with the All Stars. I asked the Majestics but they were more interested in a Shakespeare play in town. Kenny has locked himself in his room from a heat stroke. Kai is Kai, enough said and Jade's nowhere to be found! Come on, Ray. It's a free dinner! At the hotel's award winning restaurant! Buffet style!"

"Sorry, Tyson." Ray said again. "But what about Hilary? I am sure she would love to go."

"Hilary…." Why didn't the thought occur earlier? Oh, right. Because she'd probably throw the cutleries at him for the tiniest mistake. But as it were, it seemed that he didn't have much of a choice.

* * *

"To be honest, Tyson, I was surprised that you invited me out for dinner. I thought you'd prefer one of the guys instead." Hilary remarked as she sat opposite the world champion at the patio of the hotel's beach side restaurant.

Tyson let out of a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, well. I just thought of how much you have helped the team and this is just my way of saying thank you."

"The others rejected you, didn't they." she deadpanned.

"Pretty much." he admitted and braced himself for the beating that will surely follow.

Instead to his surprise, she calmly sipped at her orange juice. "I thought as much. Well, then, let's just make the most of this night then."

"Huh?" was all Tyson would say as he followed the girl to the buffet line_. A non-violent Hilary? This must be my lucky day! _

As soon as he saw the buffet spread, all puzzled thoughts left his mind as he attacked it with gusto much to Hilary's embarrassment.

"TYSON!"

_WHACK!_

"OW!"

So much for a non-violent Hilary.

So caught up they were that they failed to realise that they were being watched from a stack of bushes and shrubs nearby.

* * *

"Hey, watch it! You're stepping on my toe!" a voice hissed out in a whisper.

"Sorry, Kevin."

"Ow! Michael!"

"What?"

"Your elbow's in my face!"

"Shh!" Max waved his arms to placid the group behind him. An exasperated sigh escaped him when he finally turned and saw that Michael and Johnny were caught an elbowing match. Kevin was nursing a flatten toe thanks to Eddy. Steven and Enrique were trying to climb on top of each other for a better view. And Oliver…well, he was the only reasonable one in the odd group other than Max now.

"This is perfect." Max muttered as Tyson and Hilary returned to the table after the navy-haired blader nearly finished up everything.

"By the way, what's the point of this?" Oliver asked innocently, at a loss by why the blonde Bladebreaker had ordered them to turn down Tyson's offer for free food.

"You'll see." Max grinned as Tyson dug in using his fork and spoon much to Hilary's shock. Let Operation Lovebird commence.

* * *

Tyson knew that Hilary was stunned by the way she stared at him wordlessly, her mouth hanging as his fork delivered food to his mouth at a moderate pace. He knew going to Oliver and Enrique for table manners would pay off!

"This is too weird." Hilary muttered, recovering and starting to eat.

"Hey, I can be perfectly civilized too." He scowled at her.

"I know you can." she said, shaking her head. "It's just that…you're being normal. For once."

"Right back at ya, Hilary."

She didn't know whether to throw her plate at him for the comment or to let it slide. Instead she chose to make a conversation.

"So your injuries are healing up nicely." she said.

"Yeah….I've always been a fast healer." he answered. "Hey, what's the deal with Jade and Kai by the way? Why didn't they share a room like they always do?"

An eyebrow went up in surprise yet again. Since when was Tyson so observant? "I don't know. You tell me. She's been like that ever since she came back. I am getting worried, Tyson."

"Hm…" actually putting his fork down to think, Tyson frowned and then -, "AH! I know! Maybe Jade is just going through….you know, PMS?"

"How do you even know what PMS is?" she asked wirily.

"Of course I do. I am genius after all."

Oddly enough at that time, a group of people coughed at the same time.

Paying no heed to the passer-by, Hilary sighed. "I am just worried, that's all. Something doesn't feel right with those two…"

"Ah, don't worry. It's Kai and Jade we're talking about. If it's one of their little fights, they'll get over it soon."

* * *

In the bushes, operation 'Lovebirds' was under intense observation. Mimicking a binoculars with his hands, Max nodded in satisfaction.

"So far so good. No knives thrown." he reported to the group behind him. "They're actually having a nice long chat. Oh, a waiter's coming up to them now."

"Hey, where did Enrique go?" Johnny asked upon noticing their missing member.

Max frowned and then squinting at the view in front of him, his eyes widened. "Crap! He's the waiter!"

"WHAT!"

"Shh!"

* * *

"HELLO!" the poorly disguised waiter Enrique chimed in with a fake moustache and a posh accent. "How is the lovely couple doing today?"

Hilary flushed red while Tyson beamed. "We're doing great! Although more steak would be nice."

"My apologies, sir! Let me make up to you with two free tickets to a theatrical play!"

"Is it stand-up comedy? Because I love stand-up comedy. Especially all those fart jokes! Here's one -"

"Ah!" Enrique broke in hurriedly, not looking too keen to hear Tyson's joke. "I am afraid I must leave now. Have a good date!"

And just like that he was gone, leaving Tyson and Hilary staring after him in bewilderment.

"Is it just me or did that waiter look familiar?" she asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Really? I didn't notice."

* * *

"_As thus, 'I know his father and his friends. And in part him ' do you mark this, Reynaldo." _

"Say what now?" perplexed and completely at a loss as to what was going in the darken theatre, Michael groaned as he fidgeted in his uncomfortable upright seat. "Max, how much longer do we need to stay here?"

Max was half way to la-la land when Michael elbowed him to let him know that he will wait for him outside, along with everyone else. That left Max with Enrique and Oliver and the two they were spying on five rows ahead.

Speaking of those two…

Hilary was leaning forward in her seat, eyes glimmering in interest as she drank in every word that came from the actors on the stage. While Tyson was…

"Zzzzzz."

Max groaned, burying his face in his hands while Enrique sweatdropped.

* * *

Okay, so Operation Lovebird stage two was a bust. This only led to stage three as initiated by Kevin who insisted they needed to do something fun. Not wasting the night away at some stuffy play.

"_BANG! BANG!" _

"Level 4 completed. Advancing to Level 5."

"ALRIGHT! I AM ON A ROLL! HILARY, DID YOU SEE THAT? NAILED HIM RIGHT BETWEEN THE –"

"I am not listening…" Hands clasped over her ears to block the sounds of the arcade they were in, Hilary tapped her foot impatiently as the current world beyblading champion went on to becoming the top scorer for Time Crisis 3.

Hidden behind a row of racing games, Kevin earned several smacks from the other bladers for his failed plan.

With stage three also a massive failure, as one of the oldest in the group, Michael decided that desperate times call for experienced measures. And using Max's handphone, he lured them to his intended location.

* * *

Probing, blinking lights pulsed in time with the beat of the thumping loud music that sent vibrations through the floor. Already bobbing his head to the beat, Tyson was sorely tempted to just break into dance. Too bad that wasn't the reason he was here.

"Do you see him, Tyson?" Hilary shouted over the music.

"No! But Max said he would be here!" Tyson yelled back. "...Somewhere."

"I don't see him." she called back, sticking close to the world champion as they weaved their way through the throngs of people in the nightclub.

They came to a stop near the bar and Tyson started jumping up and down to see if he could spot the familiar blonde. No such luck.

"Tell you what." He decided. "You stay here while I'll go look for him."

"Okay. Wait, what?"

And before she knew it, Tyson was off, parting through the crowd in search for his friend. Groaning to herself, Hilary slid into an unoccupied chair at the bar, impatiently tapping her fingers against the surface.

"Hey, there. What's a pretty bird like you doing all alone?" a voice to her left said as a beer bottle suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Huh?"

"Here. It's on me." the guy said, grinning as his eyes leered at her.

"No thanks. I don't drink." she said, ignoring the guy and wishing to high heavens that Tyson would hurry up and –. An arm found its way around her, causing her to jump in her seat. "Hey! Watch it, buddy! Hands off!"

"Aw. Is the little birdie playing hard to get?" the boy sneered, leaning in. His breath reeked of liquor and smoke.

Hilary's eyes narrowed and she was half a second away from driving her heel into his privates when suddenly he was gone.

"Hey, what's your problem, man?" the guy yelped, stumbling on his ass while glaring up at the person who had shoved him.

"Didn't you hear the lady, _man_?" Tyson said, anger in his tone and body. "She said hands off. Now let me add to that. Get lost."

Perhaps in his drunken stupor, the guy realised he was no match for a sober boy and quickly scrambled to his feet and disappeared into the crowd.

"Hey, you okay?" Tyson asked the stunned girl. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head in answer and to shake herself from the revelation that moronic, insensitive, oblivious Tyson Granger had just save her.

Watching her carefully, Tyson waited for the yelling to commence and when it didn't, it worried him more. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

As they departed, none were aware that at the moment, Kevin, Johnny, Enrique, Eddie and Steven were busy beating the pulp out of Michael for coming up with such a dangerous idea. Leaving to them to their own devices, Max and Oliver quickly left the club just as a couple of bouncers started making their way to the group.

* * *

Tyson was uncharacteristically silent as he observed the girl by his side. Somehow they had wandered to the beach where up ahead, a group of kids had started a campfire and a few of them were engaged in a beybattle.

"Hey, Hil." Tyson began softly, noticing how she hugged herself, her body shivering slightly. "You okay?"

She nodded silently. And then... "Thank you..."

He smiled. "It was nothing. Although, I must admit, Hilary, I've never seen you that shaken up before."

She scowled at him, a reprimand at her lips when he continued easily. "Kinda puts things in perspective. I forget sometimes...that you're not one of the guys. Or Jade for that matter."

Hilary was pleasantly shocked. It was a rare thing to see the serious side of Tyson outside of a beybattle.

"Or that you have feelings." he said. "So I am sorry if I've treated you any less than you deserve."

"Wow, Tyson…" she muttered. "I never knew…that you could be so deep. That was really deep!"

He snorted when he realised she was teasing. "Alright. Laugh it up. But I mean what I said."

"I am just teasing." she said between muffled giggles. "But for what it's worth, thank you. That really means a lot to me."

Tyson grinned and a comfortable silence resided between them.

* * *

"Well, will you look at that." Oliver beamed from behind a thick bush with Max. 'Looks like your plan worked after all."

"Looks like it." Max agreed grinning.

"You guys are still at it?" a familiar voice called out from behind.

Max turned. "Ray, you done with your date already?"

"Some date." Oliver snickered, noting the extra companions that trailed behind the raven-haired teen and Mariah. The pink haired blader looked just as annoyed to have the rest of her team follow her.

Ray rolled his eyes but before he could say anything, a rather loud and pissed off voice interrupted.

"MAX! YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

Eyes widening in alarm, Max waved his arms about in attempt to silence the enraged Michael. No such luck. Because right behind the American were Johnny, Kevin, Enrique, Eddie and Steven who looked as though they had seen better days.

"Thanks, mate!" Johnny snapped sarcastically at Enrique. "You couldn't have warned us, could you?"

"I thought you were perfectly capable of looking out for yourself." the French blader said easily.

His teammate sneered. "Not with the wussies these guys turned out to be!"

"Hey!" Steven growled. "Watch it. Who was the one who had the bouncer sit on him for a timeout!"

"I wasn't the one who had to be dragged out. By four bouncers nonetheless!"

"Actually that was Michael." Kevin pointed out helpfully.

Ray gave Max a confused look. "Do I really want to know how the plan went?"

"No." the blonde said, defeated. "Not really."

"Oh. But I do." a chilling voice said from behind them, electing a tiny eep from Draciel's master.

All eyes slowly and fearfully turned to where Hilary and Tyson were glaring at the whole group with enough intense to match Kai's infamous glares.

"Why yes, Max. Do enlighten us." Hilary chimed in although her tone was anything but sweet. "What. Plan."

* * *

While their teammates amused and occupied themselves, Kai and Robert stood at the roof top of the resort, facing each other in silence. The sound of waves crashing against the shore drowned the enraged shouts of the teens below, allowing both team captains their privacy.

Crossing his arms in front of him, Kai waited for the German to speak first.

"The supernatural world is uneasy." Robert announced gravely. "The Dark Bladers have gone underground in fear of what's to come and even my Griffolyon is restless. Something…evil is rising, Kai."

A sigh escaped the stoic teen. This only reinforces what the Silver Wolves have been preaching all along and he hated that regardless of how twisted Faith's methods had been, she was the lesser of two evils it seems.

Robert hesitated. "As much as I don't like saying this, perhaps it's time for you to consider their offer. For the sake of your beloved Dranzer and that of your teammates."

The thought had crossed his mind, her warning at the Championship ringing in his head.

"_Because what's coming for you and your little friends, it's almost here and you can't stop it from taking your sacred spirits when it does…."_

"Now do you understand, Kai?"

He looked up as Jade joined them where they stood. Briefly, she glanced at Robert and he nodded in return.

Striding up to Kai, she willed him to listen to her words as their eyes locked and neither looked away.

"A war is coming." she said softly. "This is the real deal and only one side will win. Your sacred spirits are truly at stake here and if you lose them this time…"

She trailed off, realising that by saying it aloud, she was driving home the seriousness of the situation. Up until now, none of them have realised or acknowledge the fact that this was bigger than beyblades and championships. This was the same reason was the Saint Shields attempted to steal their sacred spirits three years ago. Unlike the Saint Shields, this weren't going to end in peace and truce this time.

There'll be blood and death by the end of the day. And quite possibly…

"….It could mean the end of the world."

* * *

"Excuse me, sir. Is Tyson in?"

Pausing in the middle of his sweeping, Grandpa Granger looked up with a frown, not recognising the teenage boy that stood at the gate to the dojo. He thought he knew all of Tyson's friends but this boy was a stranger to him. He was certain that despite his aged mind, he would remember someone with jet black cropped hair, piercing teal eyes and a British accent as thick as this teen had.

"Sorry, kiddo. The Ty-man is off in the Bahamas or something. He will be rocking his boat back tomorrow though. Maybe you swing by tomorrow and try your luck at the slots."

The boy blinked, not quite grasping the old man's slang but nevertheless, got the gist of it. "Alright, sir. Thank you very much for your time."

"How about dropping your name card or something, kid and I've make sure the Ty-man to give you a ring when he gets back?"

"No. That won't be necessary." the boy said politely, curtly nodding his head. "Again, thank you for your time."

_Hm, odd boy._ Grandpa thought as he watched the boy for a while as he walked away. Most of Tyson's fans that came by always insisted on leaving their personal details for the world champion to contact them. But this boy was too collected, too laidback. _A challenger, perhaps?_

"Ah, well."

* * *

A/N: To those requesting for more Kai and Jade, your wish is my command...in the following chapters! So if you love me and want me to continue, review! (yes, I am resorting to emotional backmailing)


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